IRKUTSK, RUSSIA — Health authorities in Siberia are investigating a suspected case of pneumonic plague after the death of a 28-year-old laboratory technician, while nearly 200 people are reportedly under medical observation.
Daria Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute and became seriously ill after a possible laboratory exposure in late September. Reports say she may have accidentally broken a test tube containing live Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, while handling samples on September 25. That account, however, has not been officially confirmed by Russian authorities.
Shipilova was later hospitalized with severe pneumonia and died in early October. Her death triggered heightened health measures in the Irkutsk region, including quarantine restrictions at the hospital where she was treated and monitoring of people who may have come into contact with her.
Nearly 200 people have reportedly been placed under medical observation or isolation. So far, there have been no confirmed reports of secondary infections.
Russian officials have been cautious in describing the case. Authorities have referred to a possible “particularly dangerous infection,” but have not publicly confirmed that plague was the cause of death.
The case has attracted international attention because pneumonic plague is the most serious form of the disease. It affects the lungs and, unlike bubonic plague, can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets during close contact.
According to the World Health Organization, plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Symptoms can include fever, weakness, headache and respiratory problems. Pneumonic plague can progress rapidly, but it can be treated successfully with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
At this time, there is no confirmed evidence of a wider plague outbreak in Siberia, and the circumstances surrounding Shipilova’s death remain under investigation.
Sources: World Health Organization, Russian regional authorities and international media reports, Visegrád 24 via X
By NJ RADAR Team
[…] attracted widespread attention after local media reported that 28-year-old laboratory technician Daria Shipilova had died in intensive care on October 2. Some local reports claimed she may have been exposed […]