A suspected pneumonic plague death has triggered an emergency lockdown at a Siberian hospital and mass quarantine protocols across a Russian region.
Daria Shipilova, 28, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, died Friday in Shelekhov, a town on the outskirts of Irkutsk, according to the local outlet People of Baikal. Russian authorities have since identified 197 people who potentially came into contact with the deceased woman, with 189 of those individuals brought into hospital for observation and preventative measures.
Maxim Modin, the mayor of Shelekhov, confirmed the local hospital has been placed under quarantine. Lab tests at the facility have been suspended, and no new patients are being released or admitted as officials attempt to prevent any possible spread of the disease. The quarantine measures represent what authorities described as a “full range of anti-epidemic measures” activated in response to the death.
The suspected cause of death was reported by a popular Telegram channel with links to Russia’s security services, which stated Shipilova died of pneumonic plague. Igor Kobzev, governor of the Russian Irkutsk region, confirmed he had met with the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s public health agency, regarding what he termed a “suspected case of a regional resident with a particularly dangerous infection.”
Pneumonic plague infects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets, making it particularly dangerous in contained settings. This form of plague can become life-threatening extremely quickly compared to other variants, creating urgency around containment efforts.
The exact source of Shipilova’s suspected infection remains under investigation. Local Russian media has suggested the illness could have originated from a test tube containing the plague pathogen accidentally breaking while she was working at the specialized institute. However, competing reports have pointed to a different origin entirely, suggesting the illness came after the deceased woman returned from Thailand.
Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, typically passed through fleas. Bubonic plague, its most recognized form, enters the human body through flea bites and causes painfully swollen lymph nodes called buboes alongside fever and chills. The disease is most historically associated with the Black Death, which killed millions across Europe, Asia and North America during the 14th century. Health experts now say plague can be treated with antibiotics as long as it is detected early enough.
The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute where Shipilova worked is one of Russia’s specialized facilities dedicated to monitoring and researching plague and other particularly dangerous infections, making any potential breach of containment protocols especially concerning for regional health officials.