Pneumonic plague outbreak hits Siberia as lab worker, 28, dies after breaking test tube and 200 people she was in contact with are put in quarantine, tell me about this news today

A 28-year-old laboratory technician, identified in local reports as Darya Shipilova, died after contracting a suspected case of plague following a laboratory accident in Russia’s Siberian Irkutsk region.

Here are the confirmed and reported details surrounding the incident:

• The Incident: Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute. According to local reports, she told hospital staff that she accidentally broke a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting or handling samples.

  Türkiye Today+ 1

• Illness and Death: She was admitted to the district hospital in the nearby town of Shelekhov showing severe pulmonary symptoms. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, she was placed on a ventilator, and she passed away shortly thereafter. While local outlets and regional reports point to pneumonic plaguethe deadlier and airborne respiratory formofficials have also noted investigations into whether it was bubonic plague, pending conclusive laboratory confirmation.

  The Moscow Times+ 1

• Quarantine and Contact Tracing: Russian health authorities identified 197 individuals who had direct or indirect contact with her, including colleagues, family members, and medical personnel at the Shelekhov District Hospital. The hospital itself was placed under quarantine, and approximately 189 to nearly 200 people were placed under strict isolation and medical surveillance across designated facilities.

  UA.NEWS+ 1

• Current Status: Irkutsk regional governor Igor Kobzev announced that all quarantined contacts have tested negative for the bacteria so far and none have exhibited symptoms. Federal sanitary officials from Rospotrebnadzor arrived in Irkutsk to manage containment efforts, and an investigation into potential laboratory safety and protocol violations has been opened.

  The Moscow Times+ 1