US Monitoring Suspected Pneumonic Plague Death of Russian Lab Worker in Siberia

A United States official reports that an employee at a Russian anti-plague institute located in the remote Siberian region of Irkutsk has died from a suspected pneumonic plague infection.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, a State Department official stated, "We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our other interagency partners." The official added that many details remain unconfirmed and urged Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.

On October 3, Alexei Tsydenov, the governor of the Buryatia region, reported via his Telegram channel that a woman in the neighbouring Irkutsk region had died, potentially from the plague.

Russia's official TASS news agency cited a statement from the country's consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, confirming that an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East had been diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown aetiology. The watchdog also noted that expanded sample testing showed no microorganisms linked to her professional activities.

Pneumonic plague stems from the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which typically resides in small mammals and their fleas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this highly infectious disease can prove fatal if treatment is not administered early.

Local media identified the deceased woman as 28-year-old laboratory technician Darya Shipilova. Furthermore, reports indicate that authorities in the Irkutsk region of Siberia have placed nearly 200 individuals under medical observation.