WorldPosted at: Oct 8 2026 8:15PM


Russia denies report of second case of plague after death of researcher at anti-plague laboratory

Moscow, Oct 8 (UNI) Russia has denied reports of a second case of an infectious disease following the death of a researcher at an anti-plague laboratory, as the World Health Organization continues seeking clarification over reports of another employee developing pneumonia.
Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died on October 2 from what Russian authorities said was pneumonia of unknown cause.
The case has drawn scrutiny from the US and the WHO, which have sought assurances that Shipilova did not have plague.
Russia's consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Wednesday that reports circulating on social media about a second case were "incorrect" and "fake". It said no such case had been reported and that no incidents involving pathogenic microorganisms had been identified.
The agency said proper safety measures for work involving pathogenic microorganisms had been confirmed and that preventive and anti-epidemic measures had been implemented. It said there were no epidemic risks to residents of Irkutsk and the surrounding region.
Rospotrebnadzor said monitoring had been completed for more than 90% of Shipilova's contacts in the region, with no health problems linked to infectious diseases identified. It separately said that checks of all known contacts had been completed and nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had found no dangerous pathogenic microorganisms.
The Kremlin said the "overwhelming majority" of reports about the case were false information and urged people to rely on statements from Rospotrebnadzor.
The issue emerged after Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev convened an extraordinary meeting of the regional sanitary and anti-epidemic commission on Friday following reports of a suspected "highly dangerous infectious disease" in a local resident.
Rospotrebnadzor had said an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute had been diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown etiology". Reports said she became ill after allegedly breaking a test tube late last month and was later hospitalised in Shelekhov, where she died.
The watchdog said on Monday that the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk was "calm".
Despite the assurances, the WHO said on Wednesday that it had asked Russia to verify media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.
The WHO says pneumonic plague is the most virulent form of plague and can spread rapidly between people through respiratory particles. The incubation period can be as short as 24 hours, with symptoms including severe breathing difficulties, coughing and sometimes blood-stained mucus.
Without treatment, pneumonic plague can be fatal within 18-24 hours of the illness' onset, according to the WHO.
Between 2019 and 2025, 10 countries reported more than 3,800 suspected human plague cases to the WHO, the agency said last week.
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