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Tuesday, 6 October 2026dailybeirut.com
Health
Russian health authorities placed nearly 200 people under medical observation following the death of Daria Shchipilova, a young employee at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute. Official investigations have ruled out a laboratory accident involving plague bacteria.
Russian health authorities subjected approximately 200 people to medical observation or quarantine following the death of Daria Shchipilova, a young employee at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute. The victim, aged 28, died on October 2 after being hospitalized due to a sudden deterioration in her health.
Authorities stated that the recorded cause of death was "pneumonia of unknown origin," with tests continuing to determine the nature of the illness precisely. Regarding contacts, tests revealed two cases infected with coronavirus and two others with rhinoviruses causing colds, with no additional infections linked to serious infectious diseases detected so far.
On the ground, Anna Popova, head of the Russian health watchdog "Rospotrebnadzor," traveled to the region to monitor developments and hold an emergency meeting with local officials. More than 60 workers inside the institute were isolated, and strict precautionary measures were taken at the hospital in Shelikhov city where the employee passed away.
Unconfirmed reports spread through media and Russian accounts suggesting Shchipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague due to a laboratory accident, including claims about a broken test tube containing disease-causing bacteria. However, the health watchdog denied finding any evidence proving an accident occurred while handling pathogens, clarifying that testing biological samples did not reveal microorganisms related to her professional work.
Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, confirmed that the situation is fully "under control." He noted that all individuals known to have interacted with the deceased were identified and subjected to examination and monitoring, denying new cases among institute staff in recent days.
The World Health Organization monitored developments, noting that currently available information indicates a low risk level for the general population, while emphasizing that a new risk assessment would be conducted as soon as additional information becomes available. In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States is closely monitoring the situation, while President Trump expressed his country's readiness to provide assistance to Russia if necessary.
It is worth noting that plague is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis, which still naturally exists among some rodents and fleas in parts of Siberia. Although human infection is rare in Russia, the disease can be treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
