[REVISION HISTORY]

Suspected plague incident in Irkutsk, Russia

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2026-10-11 06:07 UTC → 2026-10-11 06:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The death of 28-year-old laboratory technician Daria Shipilova in Russia’s Irkutsk region has raised concerns regarding a potential pneumonic plague infection. Reports suggest the infection may have resulted from a laboratory accident on September 25, when Shipilova allegedly broke a test tube containing live Yersinia pestis bacteria at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov. She died between October 1 and October 2 following symptoms of severe pneumonia or acute respiratory failure. Russian authorities, including Rospotrebnadzor and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, have denied an outbreak. Peskov characterized reports of a potential second death as “fake news,” while Rospotrebnadzor stated that over 5,500 tests were conducted without finding dangerous pathogens. Officials maintain the deceased died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and have dismissed claims of a laboratory leak, noting the worker was vaccinated. Two commissions investigating biosafety requirements concluded that no incident occurred at the institute. Following the incident, approximately 200 people were placed under medical observation, which led to temporary antibiotic shortages in local pharmacies. Governor Igor Kobzev has since announced the termination of preventive measures, stating the epidemiological situation is stable. International scrutiny remains high. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that Russian authorities have officially ruled out plague as the cause of death, though the exact cause remains unknown. The WHO continues to monitor the situation as it awaits further clinical and epidemiological information, noting that the absence of a confirmed diagnosis remains a key uncertainty. Recent reports confirm that testing of those in contact with the worker for high-risk pathogens has returned negative results, identifying only common viral strains such as COVID-19 and rhinovirus, and there is currently no evidence of ongoing transmission.

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