Russian officials are downplaying concerns over a possible outbreak of the pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection that has a fatality rate approaching 100%.
The fears stem from an incident in Siberia after a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute died following an alleged accident at a facility that studies the bacteria.
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Darya Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, a specialist laboratory in Irkutsk more than 2,500 miles east of Moscow.
Independent Russian media reports describe how Shipilova became sick after accidentally breaking a test tube containing the bacteria responsible for pneumonic plague.
Russian authorities are strongly disputing the account shared in international media, however, with the country’s health watchdog saying no such laboratory accident occurred.
The official line is that Shipilova died from pneumonia of an unknown cause.
The scale of Russia’s response, however, suggests real concern.
Hospitals have already been quarantined, and dozens of laboratory employees have reportedly been isolated.
Nearly 200 potential contacts have also reportedly been placed under medical observation.
What Happened Inside the Lab
Siberian news outlet Baikal People reports that Shipilova was working inside the laboratory on September 25 when she accidentally broke a test tube that contained the pathogen responsible for pneumonic plague.
The report, which has not been independently confirmed, says that Shipilova became seriously ill and was admitted to a hospital in Shelekhov, just outside of Irkutsk, on September 29.
She was treated there for three days in the hospital and died on October 2.
What Is Pneumonic Plague?
Unlike the bubonic plague, which spreads through the bite of an infected flea, pneumonic plague transmits through respiratory droplets.
It is, however, the same bacterium that causes other forms of plague.
Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can spread quickly between people through respiratory droplets.
Modern medicine can dramatically increase the chances of an infected person’s survival, but it must be administered quickly – within 24 hours.
Untreated, pneumonic plague progresses rapidly and usually kills.
What Authorities Are Saying
Russian authorities insist there is no evidence Shipilova contracted plague or that a pathogen-related accident occurred at the institute.
Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian federal health watchdog, claims that Shipilova died from “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and that extensive testing of biological samples has found no microorganisms associated with her work in the laboratory.
The agency also said in a statement that two commissions investigated reports of an accident involving dangerous pathogens at the institute and found no evidence that it occurred.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev shared those findings on October 5, saying no employees at the anti-plague institute have sought medical attention for new cases.
He said that the situation at the facility is stable and authorities are in control.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also stepped in, telling reporters at his regular press briefing in Moscow on Monday to rely on official information from Rospotrebnadzor rather than unofficial reports.
“The lead agency with expertise in this area is Rospotrebnadzor [Russia’s national public health and consumer protection agency]. People should rely on its official statements and disregard rumors, speculation, and so on. Rospotrebnadzor has highly qualified professionals in this field,” Peskov said.
Russia Launches Containment Operation
Despite Moscow’s reassurances, authorities are handling the issue cautiously.
Authorities have launched an extensive containment operation around the laboratory, the hospital where the patient was treated, and the people who came into contact with her.
Anna Popova, who leads the federal health watchdog, traveled to the Irkutsk region to oversee the response.
She also participated in an emergency meeting with regional officials.
On October 2, Irkutsk regional governor Igor Kobsev said Rospotrebnadzor was implementing a “full range of anti-epidemic measures” and that it had placed all identified contacts under medical observation.
Russian media reports indicate that 197 people who potentially came into contact with Shipilova have been identified, with 189 reportedly placed under medical observation.
As of October 2, more than 60 employees at the institute were reportedly isolated inside the facility, with a relative of one employee telling RFE/RL that workers were sleeping on chairs and floors inside the building while relatives delivered food to an internal checkpoint.
The inpatient section of Shelekhov District Hospital, where Shipilova was treated, was also quarantined, with new admissions and discharges temporarily halted.
Several hospitals in nearby Irkutsk also reportedly introduced similar restrictions, including three city clinical hospitals, a maternity hospital, and a children’s hospital.
Precautions are being taken outside medical facilities, too, with the nearby Irkutsk Aluminum Plant requiring employees to wear masks.
So far, though, no confirmed evidence shows that Shipilova transmitted an infectious disease to anyone.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
