Plague death outbreak fears with hundreds quarantined after lab worker suddenly dies in Russia

The United States is closely monitoring the case of a Russian laboratory worker who possibly died of plague in Siberia, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking on Monday ahead of a trip to Europe, Rubio said the U.S. is keeping a close watch on the situation but emphasized it is not cause for alarm. Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee at the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, fell ill at work and died on the night of 2 October at a regional hospital in Shelekhov, a nearby town. How she became unwell remains unclear, though unconfirmed reports suggest she may have been infected after an incident at the laboratory. Officials have not officially confirmed these accounts. Local media reported that the institute has been locked down, with staff required to stay overnight on the floor and in chairs. A relative named Roman told Siberia.Realities that more than 60 people had been isolated since Friday, with family members allowed to deliver food at checkpoints while tests took place inside the facility. Similar quarantine measures have been implemented in several hospitals in and around Irkutsk. Rubio cited information released by Russians regarding the death, stating it appeared a lab worker had become infected and raised concerns about potential internal spread. He noted that while travel between the U.S. and Russia is limited, such incidents could spread rapidly if they escaped containment. Senior Russian officials have issued conflicting statements, with Alexey Tsydenov, head of the neighboring Buryatia region, initially claiming Shipilova died of plague before revising his message to say she "possibly" died of the disease. Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, stated Shipilova died from "pneumonia of unknown aetiology" and claimed tests found no micro-organisms related to her work, describing the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the area as stable. Authorities in Baikalsk temporarily advised residents to avoid traveling to Shelekhov and surrounding areas due to unofficial reports of a possible plague infection, though the advisory was later removed from social media. Elena Trifonova, a journalist with People of Baikal, noted locals were anxious and frustrated by the lack of clear communication. Precautionary measures have been introduced across the region, including the placement of several hospitals in Irkutsk under quarantine. Staff from Shipilova’s workplace, the Irkutsk Anti-plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, have been restricted within the institute since 2 October. Patients at Irkutsk city clinical hospital No 1 and the Ivano-Matreninskaya children’s hospital reported that visitors were barred and patients could not leave. Residents shared updates on social media about the precautions taken. Ulyana Gavryunina, visiting a maternity hospital in Irkutsk for a routine check-up, said doctors prevented her mother from entering due to a quarantine related to the suspected plague case. Doctors screened her for flu-like symptoms and required her to complete an infection screening form listing "plague." She posted a photo of the form on Instagram. Additionally, a mask mandate was introduced at the Irkutsk aluminum smelter in Shelekhov, with the plant’s director, Artyom Fomin, involved in implementing the measure. Russian authorities have closed ranks in Irkutsk after a 27-year-old anti-plague researcher died following a test tube accident. Moscow has imposed sweeping quarantine measures in Siberia following the death of a plague research institute worker. The U.S. has expressed interest in the situation, with a State Department official confirming Washington is monitoring the case along with the CDC and other federal agencies. Reuters reported that all known contacts had been traced and placed under medical supervision, with no new cases identified among the institute’s employees.