Scotland Yard says police have briefly spoken to Novichok poisoning victim Charlie Rowley.
Officers are still trying to find the source of the nerve agent which left him seriously ill and killed Dawn Sturgess in Amesbury, Wiltshire.
Last night medics confirmed Mr Rowley was conscious after a small but significant improvement in his condition.
Police believe the 45-year-old and his partner were exposed to the Russian nerve agent through a contaminated item left over after the first Novichok poisoning in Salisbury in March.
The couple fell ill on June 30 after handling the same substance used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in an attack that Britain blames on Russia.
Russia has denied the allegation.
Scotland Yard opened a murder inquiry after Ms Sturgess, 44, died in hospital on Sunday.
Last night Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing at Salisbury District Hospital, said that despite an improvement in Mr Rowleys condition we are not out of the woods yet.
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She added: Charlie is still very unwell and will continue to require specialist, round-the-clock care here at Salisbury District Hospital.
I would like to ask the media to refrain from some of the unhelpful and distressing speculation weve seen in recent days.
Public Health England have said the risk to the public following the incident is low.
However, chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies has warned everyone in the area not to pick up any foreign object which could contain liquid or gel, in the interests of their own safety.
Meanwhile, Ms Sturgess family have paid tribute to the mum-of-three.
In a statement, they said: Dawns death has been devastating for us. Dawn will always be remembered by us as a gentle soul who was generous to a fault.
She would do anything for anybody and those who knew Dawn would know that she would gladly give her last penny to somebody in need.
She had the biggest of hearts and she will be dreadfully missed by both her immediate and wider family.
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