The situation related to the alleged contamination in a laboratory in Siberia has caused concern in Russia. Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old researcher from the Irkutsk Institute of Rabies Science, died from severe pneumonia, after which observation measures were introduced for hundreds of people.
Officials have not yet confirmed a plague outbreak nor found signs of large-scale disease spread. According to reports, the woman was hospitalized on September 29th with severe pneumonia and connected to a ventilator, but she died two days later.
According to The Daily Mail, she told doctors that a test vial containing live bacteria had broken. The incident occurred during a field trip in Buryatia, near the border with Mongolia, after which she was taken to the Shelekhov hospital.
A search for contacts was promptly initiated. According to unofficial data cited by CNN and independent regional media, including Liudi Baikalu, about 200 people are under quarantine at the Shelekhov hospital. Quarantine measures are in effect at three hospitals in the region.
Governor Igor Kobzhev stated that all identified contacts are under medical observation, they show no symptoms, and their test results are negative. The director of an aluminum plant near the laboratory urged employees to wear masks, and the director himself called for avoiding rumors and disinformation.
Buryatia's head, Alexey Sidenov, noted that the death could be related to the plague, but there is no outbreak of this disease in the territory. Rospotrebnadzor has not confirmed the presence of the plague. Former agency head Gennady Onishchenko told Tass that it is most likely not the plague, and even if it is, its spread in cold weather is unlikely.
Since the institute studies and monitors dangerous infectious diseases, this case is sensitive. Russian epidemiologist Mikhail Favorov called the claim of a broken vial unlikely, as protective equipment is used in such places. He suggested that the public may never learn the whole truth, which led to accusations of information concealment. The anonymous Telegram channel Negaziger compared this situation to early debates about the origin of COVID-19, although these claims are not yet confirmed.
Russia's Chief Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova arrived from Moscow in Siberia. According to Kobzhev, she participated in an emergency regional meeting convened regarding a suspicious case of a highly dangerous infectious disease. The governor initially did not name the disease. Shelekhov Mayor Maxim Modin also urged people to trust only official information, emphasizing that it is premature to draw final conclusions.