Russian health authorities say the death was caused by pneumonia of unknown origin, while quarantine measures remain in place in Irkutsk.
The death of a young laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia has set off quarantines, conflicting official statements and international concern, even as Russian health authorities insist the situation is under control.
Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died in the early hours of October 2 in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Shelekhov, a town near the regional capital of Irkutsk. She had been admitted on September 29 with severe pneumonia and was placed on a ventilator before she died.
Nearly 200 people who may have come into contact with her have since been placed under medical observation, and several hospitals in the region have introduced quarantine measures.
The central question remains unanswered. Russia’s public health watchdog says she died of pneumonia of unknown origin, while other officials and local media have linked her death to plague.
In the first hours after her death, Irkutsk regional Governor Igor Kobzev did not use the word plague. He referred instead to “a particularly dangerous infection” and said the situation was under strict control.
Alexei Tsydenov, the head of the neighboring Republic of Buryatia, went further. In a post on his Telegram channel, he said a woman in the Irkutsk region had died “maybe of the plague,” after first writing that she had died of it and later editing the post. He also said there were no plague outbreaks in Buryatia, including in areas bordering Mongolia.
On October 4, Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer protection and public health watchdog, said the employee had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown aetiology.” The agency said further tests on her samples had not found any microorganisms linked to her work, and that no accidents involving dangerous pathogens had been recorded at the institute.
Rospotrebnadzor described the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region and in the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov as stable.
Unconfirmed reports have offered different explanations for how she fell ill. Some local media said she broke a test tube containing plague bacteria at the institute, while another version suggested she may have been exposed during a work trip to Buryatia. Neither account has been officially confirmed.
Quarantine Measures in Irkutsk Hospitals
The Shelekhov District Hospital, where she was treated, has been under quarantine since October 1. Regional outlet People of Baikal reported that several other hospitals in Irkutsk, including a maternity hospital, had introduced three-week quarantines. Reports on the number of hospitals affected range from three to five.
Russian media reported that 197 people had been quarantined as of October 2, with around 189 close contacts admitted to hospital for observation. Rospotrebnadzor said those under observation showed no signs of illness.
Authorities also canceled planned public events in Irkutsk, and law enforcement has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into possible violations of health and safety rules that resulted in a death.
International Monitoring of the Suspected Plague Case
The case has drawn attention beyond Russia. “We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia,” a US State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL. “We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners.” The White House has also said it is monitoring developments.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Its pneumonic form affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets, which is why suspected cases prompt strict isolation. It is rare today and can be treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
So far, there is no publicly confirmed evidence of wider transmission among residents of Irkutsk, and quarantine measures alone do not confirm that an outbreak has occurred. Laboratory confirmation of the cause of death has not been made public, and the investigation is continuing.
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