Pneumonic plague outbreak hits Siberia as lab worker, 28, dies after breaking test tube and 200 people she was in contact with are put in quarantine
A 28-year-old laboratory technician, Darya Shipilova, has died after contracting pneumonic plague in Siberia. Reports say she may have caught the disease at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute after breaking a test tube; the case has prompted quarantine measures and a regional public health response.
Shipilova was admitted to hospital on 29 September and died two days later after being put on a ventilator. At least 200 people who may have been in contact with her are under quarantine or medical observation; officials said none had symptoms and their test results were negative. Russia’s chief state sanitary doctor travelled to the region, and a mask requirement was introduced in Irkutsk.
- A Siberian lab worker has died from pneumonic plague.
- At least 200 possible contacts are under observation.
- Officials report no symptoms and negative tests among contacts.
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Pneumonic plague is a rare but severe infection that affects the lungs and spreads between people through respiratory droplets, much like flu. Caused by bacteria, it can be fatal without prompt antibiotic treatment, though effective medicines are available. Cases are extremely uncommon in modern developed countries, making any occurrence a matter of significant public health concern.
A 28-year-old laboratory technician, Darya Shipilova, was working at a Russian institute specialising in plague research when she reportedly broke a test tube containing the bacterium. Laboratory-acquired cases of plague are exceptional, and when they occur, they raise questions about safety procedures at research facilities. The incident prompted authorities to quarantine hundreds of people who may have been exposed, indicating how seriously this risk is taken.
Although plague is now rare, it carries enormous historical weight as one of humanity's most devastating diseases. Accidents at research facilities are uncommon, but when they do occur they warrant major investigation and public health response. The reaction to this incident demonstrates both how seriously plague is treated as a threat and the precautions modern medicine takes.