Young lab worker dies in Siberia amid suspected plague case, nearly 200 under observation
A young employee of an anti-plague institute in Russia's Irkutsk region has died of pneumonia of unclear origin, with unofficial reports pointing to pneumonic plague. Authorities have placed nearly 200 people under observation and quarantined several hospitals.
Death at a lab near Lake Baikal
A young employee of an anti-plague research institute in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk in Russia's Irkutsk region, has died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown origin. WP Wiadomości reports she was 28, while Onet gives her age as 27 and names her as Daria Shipilova. Several unofficial reports point to pneumonic plague, though this diagnosis has not been confirmed in official documents.
Conflicting accounts of how she was infected
Sources disagree on how the infection occurred: some say that on September 25 she broke a test tube containing the pathogen in the lab, while others say she had just returned from a business trip to Buryatia, where a plague outbreak had been recorded near the border with Mongolia. On September 29 she was hospitalized in Shelekhov with pneumonia symptoms and put on a ventilator, but died several days later.
Quarantine and nearly 200 people monitored
Several hospitals in Irkutsk, including a children's hospital and a maternity ward, have been placed under quarantine. According to Onet, 197 contacts were identified, of whom 189 were hospitalized and 12 sent to the anti-plague institute; ambulances transporting contacts are reportedly escorted by FSB patrols. Governor Igor Kobzev said on October 2 that none of those monitored showed symptoms and that lab tests were negative. Management of the IrkAZ aluminum plant in Shelekhov ordered staff to wear masks as a precaution; its director acknowledged that conflicting information was circulating. A health-sector source told Onet that doctors are "openly talking about plague," even though it has not appeared in official records.
Authorities respond
Buryatia's governor Alexei Tsydenov said the woman may have died of plague, but stressed there was no outbreak in his region. Kobzev urged residents to stay calm and convened an emergency anti-epidemic commission together with Russia's chief sanitary doctor. Rospotrebnadzor stated that the sanitary situation in the region remains stable, though it is unclear what exactly may have been released from the lab, according to TASS. On October 3, authorities in Baikalsk briefly urged residents not to visit Shelekhov, then deleted the post.
About pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague is one of three forms of disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and the only one that spreads easily between humans via droplets. It causes fever, headaches and rapidly progressing pneumonia. The WHO notes the infection has high mortality but can be treated effectively with antibiotics. Former Russian chief sanitary official Gennady Onishchenko said that even if the plague diagnosis is confirmed, the disease would not spread because low temperatures in the region hinder transmission.
