Russia quarantines hospital as lab worker’s death puts nearly 200 under observation
Version 2: Russia’s Kremlin spokesman has now publicly urged Russians to rely on official information, Russian media reports have added an account that the researcher broke a test tube of plague bacteria in late September and died on October 1, and a former US Covid-19 response coordinator has called the death particularly concerning.
In short
A female employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week of pneumonia of unknown cause, Russian authorities said, and a hospital in the town of Shelekhov was placed under quarantine. Officials and Russian media cited by US outlets said nearly 200 contacts were put under medical observation, while Rospotrebnadzor said testing found no microorganisms linked to the employee’s work. US officials said they were monitoring the case and urged Moscow to share accurate information openly.
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A female employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in southeastern Siberia died last week of pneumonia of unknown cause, Russian officials said, prompting authorities to quarantine a hospital in the nearby town of Shelekhov and place nearly 200 contacts under medical observation, according to officials and Russian media reports cited by US outlets. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 15 ]
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s public health and consumer protection agency, said Sunday that the employee had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and that extensive testing found “no microorganisms associated with the patient’s professional activities.” The agency said it found no incidents at the institute “involving pathogenic microorganisms.” Regional governor Igor Kobzev said no microorganisms linked to the employee’s professional activities were detected in her body, that there had been no new cases among institute employees and that the sanitary-epidemiological situation was stable. [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 , 15 ]
Mayor Maxim Modin of the Shelekhov municipal district said Friday that the inpatient facility where the worker was treated was under quarantine, no longer admitting or discharging patients, and that its laboratory had halted routine tests while the outpatient clinic kept operating. Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Irkutsk and met Kobzev and other officials that day; Kobzev described the case as a suspected “particularly dangerous infection.” [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 ]
Accounts of the person and the numbers differ. Russian media named her as Darya Shipilova, 28, details officials have not confirmed, while local media cited by CNBC described a 27-year-old employee. Local media cited by CNBC said 189 people were being monitored, other reports said nearly 200 were under precautionary medical observation, and Fox News cited the East2West news agency saying more than 60 employees remained confined inside the institute. Rospotrebnadzor said two contacts tested positive for a virus that causes a common cold and two for COVID-19, with others testing negative. [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]
The cause of death has not been publicly identified. Unconfirmed media reports suggested the woman might have died of pneumonic plague, the severe form of the disease that can spread from person to person. Buryatia head Alexei Tsydenov said she had died from an unspecified form of plague, and CBS News reported that he initially said in a post on the state-backed messaging app MAX that she died of plague before editing the post to add “possibly,” citing the exile outlet Lyudi Baikala. Russian media reports cited by CBS said she broke a test tube containing plague bacteria in late September and died on Oct. 1. Ars Technica reported that unconfirmed accounts suggested a laboratory accident. Rospotrebnadzor has disputed a link between her death and her work. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 12 , 13 , 16 ]
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Rospotrebnadzor was the “lead agency with expertise in this area” and urged Russians to “listen to official information” from its “highly qualified professionals,” CBS News reported. The New York Times reported the mayor urged residents “not to spread rumors,” and The Wall Street Journal reported the Kremlin has sought to play down the death. [ 10 , 11 , 16 ]
In the United States, a State Department spokesman said “many details have not been confirmed” and encouraged Russian authorities to share accurate information “quickly and openly,” while saying the department was monitoring with the CDC and other agencies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is “watching and monitoring it closely,” adding, “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause just to keep an eye on it.” Axios reported, citing a Trump administration official, that the White House was “aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options,” and former White House Covid-19 response coordinator Deborah Birx called the death “particularly concerning.” The World Health Organization said it was aware of the reports; the Russian and Moscow health ministries, the WHO and the State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 , 14 , 15 ]
Why it matters
The case has drawn in the World Health Organization, the US State Department, the CDC and the White House, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it is not cause for alarm but is cause for focus. Washington has repeated calls for Russia to share accurate information openly, and a former US Covid-19 response coordinator called the death particularly concerning. Russian authorities have downplayed any link to plague work while keeping quarantine and observation measures in place.
Key facts
- A female employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week of pneumonia of unknown cause, according to Russian officials. [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 ]
- Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday the employee was diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and that extensive testing found no microorganisms associated with her professional activities. [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 , 15 ]
- The inpatient hospital in Shelekhov where she was treated was placed under quarantine, no longer admitting or discharging patients, Mayor Maxim Modin said. [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 ]
- Nearly 200 people who had contact with the woman were placed under medical observation, with local media cited by CNBC putting the figure at 189. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 15 ]
- Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Irkutsk and met Gov. Igor Kobzev and other officials on Friday. [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 ]
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is “watching and monitoring it closely,” adding, “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus.” [ 1 , 4 , 8 , 15 ]
- Russian media named the worker as Darya Shipilova, 28, details officials have not confirmed; local media cited by CNBC described a 27-year-old employee. [ 3 , 4 , 15 , 16 ]
- Unconfirmed media reports suggested pneumonic plague or a laboratory accident, neither of which Russian authorities have confirmed. [ 7 , 9 , 12 , 13 , 16 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Rospotrebnadzor said the employee was diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” that extensive testing found no microorganisms associated with her professional activities, and that no incidents involving pathogenic microorganisms were found at the institute. [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 , 15 ]
- The inpatient hospital in Shelekhov where the worker was treated was placed under quarantine and stopped admitting or discharging patients, Mayor Maxim Modin said. [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 ]
- Nearly 200 people who had contact with the woman were placed under medical observation, according to officials and Russian media reports cited by US outlets. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 15 ]
- Regional governor Igor Kobzev said no microorganisms linked to the employee’s professional activities were detected and that there were no new cases among institute employees, describing the sanitary-epidemiological situation as stable. [ 3 , 4 , 7 , 9 , 12 ]
- Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, traveled to Irkutsk and met regional officials on Friday, as reported by Reuters and regional officials. [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 ]
- The US State Department said it was aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk oblast, was monitoring with the CDC and interagency partners, and encouraged Russian authorities to share accurate information “quickly and openly.” [ 4 , 8 , 15 ]
- Two people who had contact with the woman tested positive for a virus that causes a common cold and two others for COVID-19, with others testing negative, Rospotrebnadzor said. [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- The cause of the woman’s death has not been publicly identified. Rospotrebnadzor says only that she had pneumonia of unknown etiology and that no pathogens linked to her work were detected; officials have not named the infection.
- Whether the case was pneumonic plague. The suggestion comes from unconfirmed media reports, while Buryatia head Alexei Tsydenov was cited saying she died from an unspecified form of plague and Rospotrebnadzor disputed a link to her work.
- The woman’s name and age. Russian media named her Darya Shipilova and reported her age as 28, while local media cited by CNBC described a 27-year-old employee; officials have not confirmed either detail.
- A report that she broke a test tube containing plague bacteria in late September and died on Oct. 1. This appears in Russian media reports cited by CBS News and has not been confirmed by authorities.
- The exact number of people under observation. Local media cited 189 people, other reports said nearly 200, and Fox News cited a news agency saying more than 60 employees remained confined inside the institute.
- Whether a laboratory accident occurred and whether there was an outbreak in Buryatia near the Mongolian border. Ars Technica said unconfirmed reports suggested a lab accident, and the Buryatia outbreak was attributed to a Russian Telegram channel cited in local media; neither is officially confirmed in the documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CNN reports a 28-year-old female laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia died of pneumonia of “unknown” origin, that the Shelekhov hospital’s inpatient facility is under quarantine and that Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova traveled to Irkutsk. [ 1 ]
- CNN airs a segment in which a virologist discusses the infection at the Russian plague laboratory. [ 2 ]
- CNBC reports nearly 200 people are under medical observation over suspected plague exposure, citing local media that cited 189, and that Buryatia head Alexei Tsydenov said the woman died from an unspecified form of plague. [ 3 ]
- NBC News reports the worker died of “pneumonia of undetermined” origin and that Gov. Igor Kobsev said no microorganisms linked to her professional activities were detected and there were no new cases among lab employees. [ 4 ]
- The Associated Press reports the Shelekhov hospital was quarantined, that its laboratory halted routine tests and that Rospotrebnadzor said two contacts tested positive for a common cold virus and two for COVID-19. [ 7 ]
- The Hill reports Russian authorities and Trump administration officials are monitoring a possible pneumonic plague outbreak and that the head of Russia’s health watchdog flew to the area, citing Reuters. [ 8 ]
- The New York Times reports Russia is moving to tamp down rumors, with the mayor urging residents “not to spread rumors.” [ 11 ]
- The Hill reports former White House Covid-19 response coordinator Deborah Birx called the death of a researcher at the Russian lab “particularly concerning.” [ 14 ]
- Fox News names the worker as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova and reports, citing the East2West news agency, that more than 60 employees remained confined inside the Irkutsk institute. [ 15 ]
- CBS News reports Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to “listen to official information,” and that Russian media said the researcher broke a test tube of plague bacteria in late September and died on Oct. 1. [ 16 ]