A 28-year-old laboratory worker has died after developing pneumonia of unknown origin at an anti-plague research facility in Russia’s Irkutsk region, prompting health authorities to intensify monitoring as investigations continue into a suspected dangerous infection.
The incident occurred at the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk. CNN reported, citing Russian state news agency TASS, that authorities have yet to establish what caused the illness or identify any specific pathogen involved. Russia’s consumer health and disease-control agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk, Irkutsk city and Shelekhov remained stable.
The deceased worker had reportedly been diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology before her death. Alexei Tsydenov, head of neighbouring Buryatia, said she may have died from plague, although there has been no confirmed plague outbreak in Buryatia. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev also said an emergency meeting of the regional anti-epidemic commission had been held following a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection.
People who had close contact with the laboratory worker have been placed under medical observation. Artem Fominikh, director of the nearby Irkutsk Aluminium Plant, said those identified as close contacts had shown no symptoms and that laboratory tests conducted so far were negative. The plant also instructed employees to wear masks as a precaution, while Fominikh appealed for calm amid what he described as conflicting reports surrounding the incident.
Unconfirmed reports by the independent regional outlet Liudi Baikala claimed that nearly 200 people had been placed under observation at a hospital in Shelekhov and that quarantine measures had been introduced at a maternity hospital. Those claims have not been publicly confirmed by Russian authorities. Former Rospotrebnadzor chief Gennady Onishchenko said the infection was more likely to be something other than plague and maintained that even if plague were confirmed, it would not necessarily result in widespread transmission.
The possibility of pneumonic plague has nevertheless raised concern because this form of plague can spread from person to person through respiratory particles. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies symptoms including fever, headache, weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain and cough. CNN also reported that US officials were monitoring developments in Russia in coordination with the CDC, while stressing that several details of the incident remained unconfirmed.
The World Health Organization has said plague can have a high fatality rate when untreated, but the disease is treatable with appropriate antibiotics. For now, Russian authorities have not confirmed that plague caused the laboratory worker’s death and continue to investigate the illness and circumstances surrounding the incident.
