Meningitis outbreak sends more than 30 warehouse workers to hospital in Moscow region

Twelve Belarusian citizens, who worked at a warehouse in the Moscow region’s Istra district, were hospitalized with suspected meningitis, as reported by the Belarusian embassy in Moscow. The diagnosis was confirmed in 10 of those cases. One of them is in critical condition. Another person from that group may have died at the hospital, but this information has not yet been officially confirmed.

On November 28, the Telegram channel Mash reported on the meningitis outbreak, citing the patients’ families. The first people to get sick were a group of warehouse workers, who were employed by the Russian Internet retailer Ozon and lived in a dormitory-style building in the Nakhabino village on the outskirts of Moscow. A total of more than 30 patients had been hospitalized. According to Mash, many of them are in intensive care.

The Moscow arm of Rospotrebnadzor — the state sanitation and consumer-protection regulator — confirms that some of the workers from Ozon’s Istra warehouse have the symptoms of meningitis. According to the federal agency, 11 patients were hospitalized with meningitis, and 15 more with flu symptoms.

Ozone has confirmed “several cases” of meningitis among its employees, denying any cause for concern about a “mass infection.” The company didn’t name the exact number of employees who got sick.

According to another Moscow-based Telegram news channel, a 42-year-old woman who worked at Ozone’s Istra warehouse died of meningitis in early October, weeks before the outbreak.