Russia says plague-lab worker died of pneumonia, not plague; hospital quarantined
Russia's health watchdog says a 28-year-old technician at Irkutsk's anti-plague institute died of pneumonia of unknown cause, and tests found none of the germs she worked with. A hospital outside Irkutsk is under quarantine, and nearly 200 people were watched. Four contacts tested positive only for a cold virus or COVID-19.
Russian officials say a worker at a Siberian plague research institute died of pneumonia, not plague. Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's public health watchdog, said Sunday that the woman had "pneumonia of unknown etiology," or unknown cause. It said wide testing found "no microorganisms associated with the patient's professional activities," the Associated Press reported. The agency also said there were no lab accidents with dangerous germs.
The worker was a 28-year-old lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. Meduza identified her as Darya Shipilova. She was admitted to a hospital in Shelekhov, a town just outside Irkutsk, on Sept. 29. She died two days later.
The response has been large. The Shelekhov hospital was placed under quarantine, its mayor said. Izvestia reported 197 people quarantined as of Oct. 2, according to Meduza. Two contacts tested positive for a common cold virus and two for COVID-19. Everyone else tested negative, the agency said.
Not everyone accepts the official account. The independent outlet People of Baikal cited unnamed sources who said she died of pneumonic plague. It also reported three-week quarantines at several Irkutsk hospitals. Early local reports offered two stories: that she fell ill after a trip to Thailand, or that she broke a test tube holding the plague germ. The head of neighboring Buryatia edited a post about her death, and other local posts were deleted, Meduza reported. The Kremlin told people to follow official statements, not rumors.
Washington is watching. President Trump said the U.S. would be willing to help. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he saw no cause for alarm but that the U.S. is following the case closely.
Some background helps. Plague is caused by a bacterium, Yersinia pestis, that usually lives in rodents and their fleas. The pneumonic form infects the lungs and can spread from person to person through coughing. It is treatable with antibiotics when caught early. The Irkutsk institute is one of several Soviet-era anti-plague centers that study such germs.
What we know: Russia says tests found no plague germs and no lab accident, and tested contacts showed only a cold virus or COVID-19.
What we don't: What caused the pneumonia that killed her, and how long the quarantines will last.
Where outlets agree The AP and Meduza both report that Rospotrebnadzor found no germs tied to her lab work and no accident with dangerous microbes at the institute.
Where they differ Russian officials call it pneumonia of unknown cause, while the independent outlet People of Baikal cites unnamed sources who say she died of pneumonic plague.