The victim, identified as Darya Shipilova, was a 28-year-old researcher working at Irkutsk Anti-plague Institute in Siberia.
According to news outlet Lyudi Baikala, Ms Shipilova told medical staff she had accidentally broken the test tube holding live bacteria. She then became unwell while on a field expedition with colleagues in Buryatia, located near Russia's eastern border with Mongolia.
She was admitted in Shelekhov Hospital where doctors reported that she was experiencing severe pneumonia-like symptoms and was eventually put on a ventilator. Her condition continued deteriorating, and she died two days later.
In an account with The Moscow Times, Mikhail Favorov, a senior Russian epidemiologist, dismissed the broken test tube explanation. He mentioned that researchers working in institutions like the Anti-plague Institute in Irkutsk always follow safety precautions and wear safety gear. He further added, “If you break a test tube, the likelihood of infection is actually very low. In short, it doesn't matter to the general public – they'll believe the ‘broken test tube’ story.”
Following the incident, there was no immediate statement from Russia's health ministry. Alexei Tsydenov, who is the governor of Russia's Buryatia region, said in a social media post that a woman in the neighbouring Irkutsk region had 'died of plague'.
The chief state sanitary doctor of Russia, Anna Popova, rushed 2,600 miles from Moscow to Siberia to take personal charge of the outbreak. According to reports, a mask decree has also been implemented in Irkutsk.
Igor Kobzev, Governor of Irkutsk, said, “We held an extraordinary meeting of the regional sanitary and anti-epidemic commission with the participation of Russia's Chief State Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova. The reason was information that had emerged about a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infectious disease in a resident of the region.”
The authorities have denied naming the suspected infection. While the hospital staff who served Ms. Shipilova at Shelekhov Hospital have been quarantined.
A total of three hospitals in the locality have been put under secure measures and around 200 people who she came in contact with have been placed under medical observation, with some hospitalized for observation.
According to Daily Mail, the authorities have confirmed that as of today the contacts have shown no signs of illness and their lab tests have come out negative too. Maxim Modin, mayor of the nearby town of Shelekhov, told residents “not to spread rumours or unreliable information – use only official sources.”
The Russian authorities have continued to deny the outbreak of plague and have asked the public not to pay heed and spread any rumours regarding the same.
Rospotrebnadzor said the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology and that expanded testing did not detect microorganisms associated with her professional activities. The agency also said the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk and Shelekhov remained stable.
A commission sent to the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute on the instructions of Rospotrebnadzor chief Anna Popova reportedly found no emergency involving work with pathogenic microorganisms. Among people who had contact with the woman, authorities reported no illnesses linked to a particularly dangerous infection. Two cases of COVID-19 and two cases of rhinovirus infection were identified among the contacts.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. It is usually found in small mammals and fleas.
Plague can easily spread among animals through fleas. In humans, it can be transmitted by the bite of infected vector fleas, unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials and inhalation of respiratory particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.
According to WHO, plague has a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 100% if left untreated. Historically, plague was responsible for widespread pandemics with high mortality. It was known as the "Black Death" during the fourteenth century, responsible for more than 50 million deaths in Europe.
There are usually three types of plagues:
Bubonic plague: which is more common in animals and rather rare in humans, was responsible for the Great Plague of 1665 which killed about a fifth of London's inhabitants.
Septicaemic plague: affects the bloodstream and can cause severe complications leading to organ failure or tissue damage.
Pneumonic plague: causes a severe lung infection and is the most deadly among the three. Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath and coughing up blood which typically begin to show between three to seven days after contact.
Pneumonic plague is the most virulent form of plague affecting lungs and is fatal if not identified and treated on time.
However, if identified on time, fatalities from pneumonic plague drop to around 17 per cent if carriers are identified within 24 hours and treated with antibiotics.
But there are reports that the drugs are running out in the Siberian region as terrified residents overload pharmacies and medical facilities with demands for supplies.
Reference:
1. World Health Organization. “Plague.” World Health Organization. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/plague
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