Nearly 200 people have been quarantined in Russia after an anti-plague lab worker in Siberia died from severe pneumonia following reports that she accidentally broke a test tube containing plague bacteria.
The case has raised fears of pneumonic plague in Siberia. However, Russian health authorities have not confirmed that the woman had plague.
The country’s consumer health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause. It also said tests found no microorganisms linked to her professional activities.
Nearly 200 People Under Medical Observation
The woman, identified by local and international media as Darya Shipilova, worked as a laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.
She died on October 2 after being hospitalized with severe lung damage, according to reports. Authorities then placed about 189 people under medical observation following possible contact with her.
The institute studies plague and other dangerous infections. That connection has fueled concern that the woman could have been exposed to Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague.
Reports have also suggested that a laboratory accident may have occurred before she became ill. However, that account has not been independently confirmed by Russian health authorities.
Russian Authorities Say the Situation Is Stable
Rospotrebnadzor said the epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region and the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov remains stable.
The agency said it has introduced additional measures and expanded testing. It also stressed that tests on the deceased woman did not find microorganisms associated with her work at the anti-plague institute.
At the same time, several hospitals in Irkutsk have reportedly introduced temporary quarantine measures. Local reports said the restrictions affected several hospitals and were expected to last for three weeks.
Those reports have added to public concern, although they do not establish that plague is spreading through the city.
US Officials Are Monitoring the Case
The situation has also drawn attention in the United States.
A US State Department official told Al Jazeera that Washington was aware of reports of a fatal suspected case of pneumonic plague in Irkutsk and was monitoring the situation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies.
The official also called for Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly, while noting that many details remained unconfirmed.
The World Health Organization says pneumonic plague is the most virulent form of the disease. It can spread through respiratory particles and become fatal rapidly without early treatment. Antibiotics can effectively treat the infection when given promptly.
For now, however, there is no confirmed evidence that the Irkutsk case represents an outbreak of plague.
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