Concerns grow in Russia over possible plague case after Irkutsk lab worker's death
Shipilova, a laboratory worker at the Siberian Anti-Plague Research Institute, died on 2 October of «pneumonia of unknown etiology». Unconfirmed reports of plague have led the WHO, the US and the EU to demand clearer information from Russia.
A 28-year-old laboratory worker named Shipilova, who worked at the Siberian Anti-Plague Research Institute in Irkutsk, Russia, died on 2 October. Russia's consumer protection and public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor attributes her death to «pneumonia of unknown etiology», meaning the cause of the illness has not been established. Unconfirmed reports point to pneumonic plague, prompting international calls for Moscow to disclose more, The Telegraph reports.
What is known
Shipilova was taken to a hospital in Shelekhov, a suburb of Irkutsk, and died the next morning. A pathologist's conclusion was initially expected within ten days; that deadline has passed without a clear answer. Russia's chief infectious disease specialist, Anna Popova, travelled to Irkutsk on 2 October. CNN says an unplanned visit by such a senior official could indicate an emergency, although Rospotrebnadzor and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deny it.
Local media circulated a version in which the worker was infected in a laboratory accident. Her mother, Svetlana Shipilova, a medical worker herself, does not believe that account. Unconfirmed reports say around 200 people were quarantined and the institute was closed. Rospotrebnadzor insists residents face no epidemic risk. Neighbours, however, complain that no samples were taken from them.
International reaction
The World Health Organization demanded answers from Russia, the US sent a diplomatic démarche, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Moscow to be open. The European Union asked for timely and transparent information. Mongolia is tightening health controls on its border with Russia, as four Central Asian states had already done.
Biological weapons concerns
Pneumonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is the only form of plague that can spread through airborne droplets, though not as easily as influenza or Covid-19. Greater concern stems from Moscow's secrecy: US intelligence has warned that Russia is expanding its biological weapons programme. In 1979, at least 64 people died in an outbreak in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg); in 1992 Boris Yeltsin admitted it was linked to a military facility.
