Photo: Collected
After the death of an employee of a plague research institute in the Irkutsk region of Siberia in Russia, reports have been published that she was infected with plague. However, the authorities claim that plague was not detected in tests done after death. The country’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor on Tuesday also denied reports of special measures being taken to prevent infection.
Local media outlet People of Baikal reported on Friday that the deceased, Daria Shipilova, was 28 years old. She may have been infected with pneumonic plague, which causes infection in the lungs, from a broken test tube. The outlet also reported that up to 200 people who came into contact with her were being kept under separate observation.
However, Rospotrebnadzor said the document circulating online about special measures being taken is not official and the information in it is untrue. The health situation in the region remains stable.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said on Monday that the employee died of pneumonia, but its cause has not yet been determined. No pathogen related to her professional work was found in her samples. There are also no reports of any other employee of the institute newly seeking treatment after the death.
Plague is a bacterial disease. Its pneumonic form can spread through breathing. The World Health Organization has said it can cause death if prompt treatment is not received.
The organisation’s spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that, based on the information received so far, the risk in Irkutsk is moderate to low. The risk is low across Russia and very low in the rest of Europe.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Russia to release more information. President Donald Trump has also offered assistance.
In response, Russia’s health agency, referring to outbreaks of infectious diseases including measles in the United States, has in turn offered to assist that country with experts and laboratory equipment.
