A 28-year-old laboratory assistant at the Irkutsk Plague Research Institute in Шеlekhov died in late September or early October after a severe case of pneumonia. Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian sanitary supervision service, gives a diagnosis of "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and does not confirm plague. Independent media report that about 200 people are under medical observation, and some Russian media describe the version of a laboratory accident. Russian services do not confirm it.
Course of events according to the media
The woman, identified by the independent portal Ludi Bajkała and REN TV as Daria Shipilova, was admitted to the hospital in Шеlekhov on Tuesday, September 29, with symptoms of severe pneumonia. According to these reports, she was connected to a respirator and died two days later, on Thursday, October 1. The dates are from the media; the authorities have not confirmed them. Some sources give her age as 27, most as 28.
On Friday, October 2, the governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, announced that an extraordinary meeting of the regional anti-epidemic commission had been held with the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova. The reason was a "suspicious case of a particularly dangerous infection" in a resident of the region.
Rospotrebnadzor's position
In a Sunday statement, the service wrote that the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and Шеlekhov is stable. Institute employees were diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology. Extended studies of the patient's material did not detect microorganisms associated with her work with dangerous pathogens. The service also stated that no incidents involving pathogens were recorded at the institute, and no employee reported an infectious disease in the last 10 days. According to Interfax, a special commission of the institute also reached this conclusion.
Rospotrebnadzor, however, did not publicly disclose the results of the test for Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague.
Governor of Buryatia and media versions
Alexey Tsidenov, head of neighboring Buryatia, wrote on Telegram that the woman from the Irkutsk region who died of plague had not been to Buryatia. He later amended the post, adding that she might have died of plague. He noted that there were no outbreaks of the disease in his republic, which borders Mongolia.
Russian media reported two versions of how the infection might have occurred. According to the first, spread by the Mash channel, the woman returned from a delegation to Buryatia, where there was supposed to be a plague outbreak. The second version says she broke a test tube with bacteria in the laboratory and informed her colleagues. Agencies point out that neither version has been confirmed by the authorities, and Tsidenov denied an outbreak in Buryatia.
Gennady Onishchenko, former head of Rospotrebnadzor, told the TASS agency on Friday that it is unlikely to be plague in the Irkutsk region. He added that even if it were confirmed, the disease would not spread, and the coming cold would help.
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Quarantine and contact tracing
Local media report that 189 people are under observation, and CNN writes about dozens of people in isolation. There is no official number. The mayor of the Шеlekhov district, Maxim Modin, informed about "comprehensive anti-epidemic measures." The inpatient department of the hospital where the woman was treated was quarantined, and several departments suspended admissions and discharges. According to local media, other hospitals in the region were also closed. Modin added that all individuals with whom the employee had recent contact are being tested.
The director of the Irkutsk Aluminum Plant, Artem Fominykh, called for calm, pointing to conflicting reports. Employees of the plant were advised to wear masks. Kyrgyzstan announced quarantine checks at border crossings on Monday.
Reactions from WHO, USA, and the Kremlin
The World Health Organization stated that the cause of death has not been officially confirmed, and it is in contact with Russian authorities to verify the event and test results. Based on unofficial information, the WHO assesses the risk to the general population as low.
The US Department of State announced that it is monitoring the situation with the CDC and encourages Russia to share information quickly and reliably. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that he sees no reason for alarm, but the matter needs to be observed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged to rely on Rospotrebnadzor's communications, not on rumors.
What is not known
The official plague test result and the confirmed cause of death are missing. It is unknown whether there was laboratory exposure or if the woman had been to Buryatia. Rospotrebnadzor denies incidents with pathogens but has not published the details of the studies.
Sources:
- University of Reading, comment by Dr. Simon Clarke
- Rospotrebnadzor, statement of October 4
- Science Media Centre, expert reactions of October 5
- CNN
- Al Jazeera
- Moscow Times
- Meduza
- Euronews
- CNBC
- NBC News
- Newsweek
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