Suspected Plague Outbreak in Russia After Lab Worker's Death, Hundreds Quarantined

A 28-year-old laboratory assistant, Daria Shipilova, died in the Irkutsk region of Russia on October 2, officially from severe pneumonia. However, independent media reports suggest she may have contracted the plague after accidentally breaking a vial containing the pathogen at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute on September 25. Russian authorities have officially denied a plague outbreak, but extensive quarantine measures in the city and region have caused public alarm.

Shipilova was hospitalized on September 29 with rapidly deteriorating health. Initially suspected of having severe COVID-19, her condition worsened, prompting medical staff to test for highly dangerous infections. She died on October 2. Following her death, Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian federal service for consumer rights protection, arrived in Shelekhov for an emergency meeting with Governor Igor Kobzev. Officials have avoided using the word "plague," with Kobzev stating there was a "suspicion of a case of a particularly dangerous infection."

Despite official denials, authorities in the city of Baikalsk initially warned residents against traveling to Shelekhov due to "unofficial information about the detection of plague infection in the city," a post later deleted from social media. The head of neighboring Buryatia, Alexey Tsedenov, initially stated that the deceased had not visited his region, later amending his post to "possibly died from plague."

Rospotrebnadzor issued a statement on October 4, claiming Shipilova died from "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and that no "microorganisms related to her professional activities" were found in her tests. The agency also stated that no emergency situations occurred at the research institute. Nevertheless, according to Izvestia newspaper, at least 197 people who may have been in contact with Shipilova were identified, with 189 hospitalized in various medical facilities. Mass events in Irkutsk were canceled, and a criminal case was opened regarding safety violations leading to death.

Israeli infectious disease expert Professor Tal Brosh commented to Ynet that while he doesn't know the lab's safety standards, the described symptoms are consistent with pneumonic plague, the most severe and contagious form. He noted that rapid treatment with antibiotics is crucial. Russian epidemiologist Mikhail Favorov, living in the U.S., expressed doubt about the broken vial theory, citing the protective gear lab workers should wear, and suggested the extensive quarantine measures indicate the seriousness of the situation, stating, "We will not be told what really happened."

Former Rospotrebnadzor head Gennady Onishchenko also questioned whether it was plague, suggesting another infection was possible and that effective treatments exist. The article notes that plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, still exists in various parts of the world, though not in Israel. The last registered case in Russia was in 2016, a boy who recovered after timely treatment. Professor Brosh found the current quarantine measures "somewhat excessive" given the relatively easy prevention of plague transmission.