The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) country office in Russia, Batyr Berdyklychev, has dismissed rumors about a new virus in the country, local media reported Friday, April 4, 2025.
The WHO representative in Moscow has confirmed that the recent suspected cases in Russia were caused by the known bacterial infection of mycoplasma pneumonia, the report said.
Berdyklychev said that the WHO had requested related data from Russian authorities in response to the reports of patients coughing up blood.
“Following investigations, including laboratory confirmation, it was determined that the five reported cases in Moscow and the Moscow region were caused by mycoplasma pneumonia.
“This is not a new virus, and the number of cases does not pose an increased epidemiological risk,” he said.
Berdyklychev said the WHO has established effective collaboration with Russia’s Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare.
“This is a very good example of the fact that the Russian Federation has set up a reliable epidemiological surveillance system.”