About 200 people under observation in Irkutsk after plague institute worker dies

According to Russian media, the woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia. After her death, about 200 people who had been in contact with her were placed under observation.

How it began

The first reports appeared on 1 October, when a ward of the district hospital in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk, was quarantined. Regional governor Igor Kobzev spoke of a “suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection” but did not name the disease. Anna Popova, head of Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Irkutsk.

Some Russian media reported that the woman died of pneumonic plague after a laboratory accident. This has not been officially confirmed. The head of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, first wrote that plague was the cause of death, but later edited his post to say she “may have died of plague”.

What officials say

According to Rospotrebnadzor, the cause of death was pneumonia of unknown origin. The governor says no trace was found in her body of the microbes she worked with. 60% of her contacts have been tested, and no plague was found in any of them. The World Health Organization is waiting for confirmation of what caused the illness.

Plague in Russia

Plague still occurs in some parts of the world, including Russia. The last confirmed case there was in 2016 in the Altai Republic. The disease is dangerous but treatable with antibiotics, and a vaccine exists for people who work with live plague bacteria.