Russian health authorities have taken precautions in response to the death of a woman who worked at a plague research center, but have not confirmed that she contracted the plague. Darya Shipilova, 28, who worked at the Irkutsk Institute for Plague Control, accidentally broke a test tube containing pneumonic plague bacteria, the local independent news portal "People of Baikal" reported. The woman died a few days later after a serious illness, Russian media reported. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the information.
What do the authorities say?
"Rospotrebnadzor" - Russia's consumer protection and public health service, announced that Shipilova was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown origin". The agency said additional tests were conducted on her professional activities, but no microorganisms related to her work were found. The state agency said there were no incidents involving pathogens at the institute.
At the same time, however, authorities imposed precautionary measures. About 200 people who may have had contact with Shipilova have been placed under medical observation or isolation, and hospitals in the region have imposed restrictions. The measures have sparked speculation, as Russian authorities initially avoided publicly mentioning the plague, while local and independent reports described a possible laboratory incident related to Yersinia pestis - the bacterium that causes plague.
"Rospotrebnadzor” described the epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and the neighboring town of Shelekhov as "stable". Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said that the people under observation showed no signs of illness and tested negative.
US is monitoring the case
At the same time, the American media "Axios” reported that the White House was monitoring reports of the suspected case and related quarantine measures in Russia. The State Department called on Russian authorities to "provide accurate information in a timely and open manner," noting that plague is treatable with widely available antibiotics, especially when treatment is started on time. A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services also confirmed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the State Department.
Republican Congressman Don Bacon linked these reports to long-standing Russian allegations that US-backed laboratories in Ukraine were involved in biological weapons research.
"I remember hearing from Ukraine's opponents about their so-called "biolabs". These were Russian disinformation operations. But in reality, it is Russia that has the biolabs," Bacon wrote on his social media account.