Batyr Berdyklychev, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in Russia, has refuted claims of a new virus in the country, local media reported on Friday.
According to Berdyklychev, recent suspected cases in Russia were confirmed to be caused by the known bacterial infection Mycoplasma pneumoniae, dismissing speculation about a novel pathogen.
“The WHO requested data from Russian authorities after reports of patients coughing up blood,” Berdyklychev said. “Following investigations, including laboratory confirmation, it was determined that the five reported cases in Moscow and the Moscow region were caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae.”
He emphasized that the infection does not pose an increased epidemiological risk and reassured the public that it is not a new virus.
The WHO official also commended Russia’s Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare for its cooperation, stating that the country has established a “reliable epidemiological surveillance system.”
(NAN)