Russia Rules Out Health Emergency After Lab Worker Dies Amid Plague Fears

Russia on Monday said the health situation in Siberia’s Irkutsk region remained stable after a 28-year-old worker at an anti-plague research institute died, sparking concerns over a possible plague infection.

The woman was hospitalized last Tuesday with severe pneumonia and died two days later. She worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, which handles dangerous pathogens.

Russian authorities have found no evidence of plague or another dangerous infection linked to her work. The US is also monitoring the situation, with a Trump administration official telling Axios that the White House was aware of the reports and assessing developments. Nearly 200 people who had contact with the woman have reportedly been placed under medical observation.

Russia’s consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said the woman had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology”, meaning the cause of her illness had not been established. Laboratory tests of her samples did not detect microorganisms linked to her work with dangerous pathogens, Rospotrebnadzor said, according to Interfax.

Earlier reports suggested she may have broken a test tube containing live bacteria. However, a special commission at the institute and Rospotrebnadzor concluded there had been no emergency or breach of safety protocols, Interfax reported.

Authorities also said no other infectious illnesses had been reported among institute employees during the previous 10 days.

People who had close contact with the woman were placed under observation and underwent daily testing. Tests detected two Covid-19 cases and two rhinovirus cases, but no other infections, Rospotrebnadzor said.

Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said quarantined family members and close relatives could be released next week if they remained healthy. Hospitals in the region continued to operate normally, apart from some precautions.

Plague fears arose because of the woman’s workplace and reports of possible exposure to live bacteria. Pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs, can spread through respiratory droplets.

However, there is no confirmed evidence she died from plague. Buryatia Governor Alexei Tsydenov initially said she had died of plague but later qualified the claim, saying it was “maybe” plague.

The Mash Telegram channel reported that she developed plague-like symptoms after returning from a work trip to Buryatia and that her illness was detected near the Mongolian border.