Russia denies plague death but quarantines hundreds without explanation
Rospotrebnadzor said Darya Shipilova, 28, died of "pneumonia of unknown aetiology" with no links to her work at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, but imposed quarantine on her contacts, confined 60 colleagues inside the facility and restricted access to hospitals including a maternity ward.
Russian authorities have insisted a lab researcher who died in Siberia last week did not have the plague while quarantining nearly 200 of her contacts, confining more than 60 colleagues inside their institute and restricting access to multiple hospitals, all without explanation.
Darya Shipilova, 28, a researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, was admitted to Shelekhov District Hospital in late September and died last Friday night.
Russia's national health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said biological samples from her body found no microorganisms linked to her professional work and that she died from "pneumonia of unknown aetiology."
The agency said its special commissions had found no accidents involving pathogenic microorganisms at the institute. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters to rely solely on Rospotrebnadzor's statements.
Between 189 and 197 of Shipilova's contacts were placed under observation and quarantine, according to figures cited by independent and regional media.
Initial tests among those contacts returned negative. More than 60 staff members of the anti-plague institute were effectively confined inside the facility for several days.
Quarantine restrictions were also imposed on hospitals in Irkutsk, including a maternity ward, according to reporting by multiple regional and international outlets.
Patients at one facility said doctors cited plague as the reason. Relatives of a woman in labour were refused entry to the ward despite having paid for partner-assisted birth.
The head of neighbouring Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, initially said after Shipilova's death that she had died of plague, then amended this to "possibly plague".
Irkutsk regional authorities posted a message on Friday asking residents not to travel to the satellite town of Shelekhov because of plague, then deleted it.
Governor Igor Kobzev described the cause of death as "pneumonia of unknown aetiology" on Monday.
What are international authorities saying?
The World Health Organization said it assessed the public health risk from the incident as low to moderate for Irkutsk region, low for Russia as a whole and very low for the WHO European region.
It said Russian authorities had identified Shipilova's contacts and were monitoring them, and that they had detected no dangerous infectious disease agents among those contacts.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control told Euronews it was "closely following the situation" and was in contact with the WHO.
"We are aware of a case of pneumonia of unknown origin in eastern Russia that is suspected to be plague. This suspicion has not yet been confirmed," an ECDC representative said.
US authorities are also monitoring developments, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have strengthened sanitary controls at their borders with Russia.
Uzbekistan has also strengthened its public-health preparedness after reports of a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infectious disease in Russia’s Irkutsk region, while stressing that the diagnosis has not yet been confirmed.
Online theories swirl
Two unofficial theories have circulated in Russian media. The first, reported by Telegram channels SHOT and Baza, holds that Shipilova accidentally broke a test tube containing the plague pathogen in the laboratory.
Several specialists consider this unlikely, noting that work with high-risk pathogens is conducted inside sealed safety cabinets with protective suits and strict decontamination protocols.
The second theory is that the infection was acquired during field research in a region with natural plague reservoirs. The head of Buryatia publicly denied that Shipilova had visited the region.
The official diagnosis has not been confirmed or ruled out by published PCR test results.
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Its most common form, bubonic plague, affects the lymphatic system. Pneumonic plague, which can spread between people via airborne droplets, is considered the most dangerous.
Russia's most recent confirmed human cases were recorded in the Altai region in 2014, 2015 and 2016, all involving people who handled marmots.
Human plague cases in Russia remain rare despite natural reservoirs existing in several regions.
EU countries to discuss suspected plague outbreak in Russia
European health authorities are closely following the suspected plague outbreak in Siberia, Russia. The European Commission and member states are set to discuss the matter on Wednesday morning.
Representatives from the European Commission and member states plan to discuss the suspected outbreak of pneumonic plague in Siberia, Russia, as national authorities scramble to get a clear picture of the situation.
A meeting of the Health Security Committee, which evaluates serious cross-border health threats, will take place on Wednesday morning in Brussels. The meeting was already scheduled, but the item has been added to the running order.
"I can confirm the incident in Russia will be on the agenda of the Health Security Committee," a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.
The case revolves around a female lab worker at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute, in south-eastern Siberia, who died on 2 October in uncertain circumstances. Her death was attributed to a "pneumonia of unknown aetiology".
Russian authorities say they have found no evidence that her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with and insist the situation is under control.
The hospital where the lab worker was treated was placed under quarantine. About 200 people who had been in touch with her went into strict medical observation.
Separately, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan introduced precautionary measures at their borders to prevent the possible spread of infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that none of those people has shown symptoms so far and early testing has been negative, although it noted it was "unclear" which pathogens were tested.
The WHO noted the risk for the European region was "very low".
In a statement, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the suspicion of a plague outbreak was "not yet confirmed".
"There is little travel between Irkutsk and the EU, particularly at present due to Russia's war against Ukraine," the agency said.
"Based on the limited information currently available, there are no reports of secondary cases or sustained human-to-human transmission."
Brussels and Washington are closely monitoring the evolving situation and have urged Russia to provide accurate and transparent information.
Pneumonic plague occurs when plague, an infectious disease caused by bacteria, infects the lungs. It is the most serious form of the disease and can be spread from person to person. If left untreated, it has a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 100%.
Pneumonic plague suspected in Russia: What we know and what is the risk to Europe?
The death of a staff member at an anti-plague institute in Russia following a laboratory accident has put the spotlight on plague and how it spreads.
A staff member at the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, Russia, died after a test tube broke in the laboratory, regional media reported, citing unnamed sources close to the region’s security services.
Russian authorities said they found no evidence that her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with. But the case has raised alarm in Russia after unconfirmed media reports suggested she might have died of pneumonic plague — a less common but severe form of plague that can spread from person to person.
Russian media reported that around 200 people, who had been in contact with the deceased worker, were under strict medical observation and that several hospitals in the region were closed and placed under quarantine.
“As ... the contagion was in a lab (and has presumably well disinfected) and people were rapidly quarantined, it is highly unlikely that it will spread further- and thus, whilst it is contagious, it is unlikely to have the opportunity to spread,” Alice Hughes, professor of conservation science at the University of Melbourne, said in comments to the Science Media Centre.
Yet, public health authorities are following closely any developments.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) told Euronews that it is “closely monitoring the situation” and is in contact with the World Health Organization.
“We are aware of the case of pneumonia of unknown origin in eastern Russia that is suspected to be the plague. That suspicion is not yet confirmed,” a spokesperson said in a written statement.
The spokesperson added that based on the limited information currently available, there are no reports of secondary cases or sustained human-to-human transmission, and noted that there is “little travel” between Irkutsk and the European Union and European Economic Area countries, “particularly at present due to Russia’s war against Ukraine”.
Plague has been absent from Europe for more than 50 years; however, human cases are reported in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.
What do experts say about the risk?
While the information surrounding the suspected case in Russia is very limited, experts noted that sporadic pneumonic cases are not rare.
“Plague is not a historical disease,” said Zania Stamataki, associate professor of viral immunology at the University of Birmingham in comments to the Science Media Centre. “It remains endemic in rodent populations across Africa, Asia and the Americas, and human cases occur every year, including outbreaks of the pneumonic form.”
According to Brendan Wren, professor of microbial pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, “there shouldn’t be too much concern as the transmission of Yersinia pestis between humans is generally poor”.
What is pneumonic plague?
Pneumonic plague occurs when plague, an infectious disease caused by bacteria, infects the lungs.
Pneumonic plague is the most serious form of the disease and is the only form of plague that can be spread from person to person. If left untreated, it has a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 100%.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is especially contagious and can trigger severe epidemics through human-to-human transmission via respiratory particles. However, recovery rates are high if the disease is detected and treated in time.
The incubation period can be as short as 24 hours and any infected person may pass it via respiratory particles to other humans.
What are the symptoms?
Pneumonic plague develops when bacteria spread to the lungs of a patient with untreated bubonic or septicemic plague, or when a person inhales infectious droplets coughed out by another person or animal infected.
Symptoms typically appear one to three days after infection. They include severe respiratory problems such as shortness of breath and coughing, often with bloody or watery mucus.
What is the treatment?
If untreated, pneumonic plague can be rapidly fatal. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for survival and to reduce complications. Common antibiotics used against enterobacteria can effectively cure the disease if given early.
“Plague is a serious infectious disease. However, it can be diagnosed and treated with antibiotics readily available in Europe,” the ECDC spokesperson noted.
In cases of pneumonic plague, patients should be isolated and their contacts traced and treated, the agency says on its website.
Are there vaccines?
The WHO does not recommend vaccination except for high-risk groups, such as laboratory personnel who are constantly exposed to infection and health-care workers.
Because human plague is rare in most parts of the world, public health agencies see no need to vaccinate people other than those at particularly high risk of exposure.
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