This undated photo, released by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab.
The death of a laboratory worker in Siberia on October 2, 2026, and the subsequent quarantine of dozens of people have sparked concerns about a pneumonic plague epidemic, with Russia revealing little information publicly. The incident has revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and allegations that the coronavirus may have emerged at a Chinese lab.
What happened at the Siberia lab?
The 28-year-old woman, Darya Shipilova, employed at a research institute in Siberia, fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to quarantine dozens of people and dispatch the head of Russia’s health watchdog to the Irkutsk region.
The woman worked at the anti-plague research institute in the city of Irkutsk, where the plague occurs naturally in wild animals. She died at a hospital in nearby Shelekhov that the mayor said had been placed under quarantine. Following the incident, top Russian health officials have travelled to the region.
A satellite image shows the Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk, Russia, May 8, 2025.
Russian authorities say the lab worker died of what initially presented as a “typical” acute respiratory viral infection.
Russia dismisses epidemic concerns
Meanwhile, Russia’s health regulator insists there were no risks of an epidemic breaking out in Siberia after the plague institute worker’s death.
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, said on October 7 that it was winding down precautionary measures it had put in place after concluding there was no risk of an epidemic.
No cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with the deceased worker, it said, while adding that 90% of those placed in quarantine had been released after nearly 5,000 lab tests had failed to detect any dangerous pathogens.
When asked about a second person in Siberia allegedly falling ill, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged caution against using media reports as a reference for what was happening.
‘Causative agent behind death not known’
A top official with the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it doesn’t know how the lab worker in Siberia died. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said the UN health agency doesn’t know what the “causative agent’ was behind the woman’s October 2 death.
She has urged Russia to provide more information about the incident that prompted global concerns about suspected pneumonic plague. The WHO initially said it estimated the risk of the Russia case to the public as low, but told a press conference on October 7 it could not make a fuller risk assessment due to insufficient information from the Russian authorities.
What is pneumonic plague, symptoms
Reports blamed the woman’s death on pneumonic plague — a less common but severe form of plague that can spread from person to person.
Pneumonic plague causes a severe form of pneumonia, but recovery rates are high if it is detected and treated in time. The severe disease is less common than the better-known bubonic plague linked to the Black Death in the Middle Ages.
Pneumonic plague and bubonic plague are caused by the same bacteria. The former is spread by respiratory particles while the latter is spread through bites from fleas that have jumped from infected rodents.
Symptoms of pneumonic plague include shortness of breath and coughing-up blood, and they can occur in as little as 24 hours after exposure, according to the WHO. If untreated, the illness can be fatal.
Not linked to a biological weapon
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (October 8) that the death of the Russian plague laboratory worker did not appear to be linked to a biological weapon.
Mr. Trump said Russia insisted it had the situation under control, but added that not much information was coming out. He, however, said that the United States will help Russia over the incident.
The European Union has also called on Russia to “share timely and transparent reporting” about the death of the plague laboratory technician.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP, AFP)
Published – October 08, 2026 03:49 pm IST
