Russian lab worker dies of ‘severe pneumonia’, sparking plague scare; dozens in quarantine: What we know so far | Today’s news
Dozens of people have been quarantined as a precaution after a lab worker at an institute in Siberia, Russia, who studies the bacteria that causes the plague, died under unknown circumstances. The exact cause of her illness is still under investigation; however, there were rumors on social media that she may have accidentally released the plague – a deadly bacterial infection that remains endemic in some parts of the world. However, Russian authorities rejected the claim.
The World Health Organization said it was aware of reports that a laboratory worker in the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation had died of “severe pneumonia” on October 2, 2026, and that it had provided support to Russia.
“In accordance with Articles 9 and 10 of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), WHO is in contact with Russian health authorities to verify the event, its circumstances, ongoing laboratory tests and their results, the rationale for contact tracing and the health status of contacts, as well as any potential international public health implications,” WHO said, according to the ANI news agency.
According to a Reuters report, Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told state media that the institute had found no evidence of any accidents involving the handling of pathogens after rumors spread on social media that a woman had dropped a test tube containing live bacteria.
Nevertheless, Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Siberia at the weekend for an extraordinary meeting.
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Authorities quarantined people who came into contact with the deceased woman as a precaution, while parts of the hospital in Šelechov where she died were sealed off. An aluminum plant in the area also ordered its employees to wear masks.
Officials asked residents not to panic and stressed that there was currently no indication that the woman’s death was related to her work at the plague institute.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, told Reuters that the woman died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology”. He also stated that no other employees of the Anti-Plague Institute had sought medical treatment in recent days.
Kobzev said authorities have tracked down anyone known to have been in contact with the woman. The contacts have since been medically examined and placed under observation, while officials say the situation remains under control.
what is plague
Plague is endemic in parts of Siberia, where the bacterium that causes the disease, Yersinia pestis, is found among small wild mammals and the fleas that live on them. The area is also the site of the oldest known prehistoric human outbreak of the plague.
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However, plague infections among humans in Russia are rare. Cases are reported annually in some other parts of the world, especially in Africa.
If plague is left untreated, the bacteria can spread from the lymphatic system to the bloodstream or lungs, according to the WHO. This can lead to two serious forms of the disease—septicemic plague, which affects the blood, or pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs.
