What happened
A laboratory technician at a plague research institute in Siberia has died, and nearly 200 people have been placed under observation, Ynetnews reports. Daria Shipilova, 28, died overnight between Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 at a hospital in Shelekhov, in Russia’s Irkutsk region. The cause of her death has not been officially confirmed.
According to Russian media, Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. One account says a test tube containing the plague bacterium broke while she was working on Sept. 25. She was hospitalized on Sept. 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia, raising suspicions of pneumonic plague.
At least 197 possible contacts were identified and 189 placed under observation, according to reports. The Shelekhov hospital was quarantined, public events in Irkutsk were canceled, and a criminal investigation was opened into suspected safety violations.
No infections have been confirmed among those under observation, and there is no evidence the disease spread.
Newstro reports facts and attributes every statement. Accounts of how Shipilova may have been infected have not been officially confirmed. All photos on this page are file photos.
