Lab worker ‘possibly’ dies of plague in Siberia, prompting quarantine measures

Several hospitals in Siberia have been placed under quarantine following the death of Darya Shipilova, a woman who worked at an anti-plague institute. Shipilova, an employee at an institute in the eastern city of Irkutsk, died on the night of October 2 at a regional hospital in the nearby town of Shelekhov, just two days after falling ill. The circumstances surrounding her illness remain unclear.

Unconfirmed reports in Russian media suggest that Shipilova, who was in her late twenties, may have been infected at work due to an accident at the laboratory. However, officials have not publicly confirmed this account. The situation has been further complicated by conflicting statements from politicians. Alexey Tsydenov, the head of the Buryatia region, initially stated that she had died of plague but later revised his statement to indicate she had “possibly” died from the disease.

Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, reported that Shipilova died from “pneumonia of unknown aetiology.” They insisted that tests found no microorganisms linked to her professional work and described the “sanitary and epidemiological” situation in the area as stable.