Russian pneumonia death exposes limits of international health rules

A case of pneumonia that killed a lab worker at an anti-plague institute in Russia has exposed cracks in the international rules meant to keep the world safe from pandemics and health threats. At the center of the debate is the legally binding set of International Health Regulations laying out countries’ rights and obligations in public health emergencies that could cross borders. It is signed by 196 countries, including Russia, China and the U.S. But there are questions over whether Russia properly followed these rules — namely, on timely and transparent information-sharing on a potential threat.