Lab technician died, hospital under quarantine: plague suspected in Russia

At the Shelekhov District Hospital in the Irkutsk Region of Russia, a quarantine was imposed due to a suspected especially dangerous infection. A 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, a laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, died there. About 200 people who may have been in contact with her are under medical surveillance. Plague remains one of the versions, but there is no official confirmation that this was the cause of death.

According to preliminary information, on September 25 the employee broke a test tube containing the agent of pneumonic plague, after which she felt unwell. She was hospitalized in the district hospital, where she spent three days. Death occurred on the night of October 2.

After the patient’s death, people who may have had contact with her began to be placed under observation. Initially there were reports of approximately 90 contacts, and later their number grew.

The quarantine at the medical facility has been in effect since October 1 — it was introduced even before the laboratory technician’s death, when one of the patients was suspected of having an especially dangerous infection. The next day, an emergency meeting of the sanitary and anti-epidemic commission was convened in the region. Participants included:

• Anna Popova — head of Rospotrebnadzor;
• Igor Kobzev — governor of the Irkutsk Region.

Residents of Shelekhov reported that people in protective suits, masks and gloves appeared on the streets. There are also reports of distribution of protective equipment, including masks, in kindergartens.

The possibility of plague infection drew attention specifically because of the pneumonic form of the disease: it can be transmitted from person to person. However, regional authorities have not confirmed that the laboratory technician died of this disease. The governor spoke only of a suspicion of an especially dangerous infection, without specifying its name.

The head of Buryatia, Alexey Tsydenov, initially wrote that the woman’s cause of death could have been plague. He later edited the post to add the word “possibly.”

To verify a suspicion of an especially dangerous infection, laboratory tests and an epidemiological investigation are required. Medics emphasize that specialists from relevant institutions may be involved until an exact diagnosis is established.

Against this backdrop, reports have appeared about the removal of some publications regarding a possible plague outbreak. In particular, materials from the REN TV channel and a post by the administration of Baikalsk were mentioned, in which people were urged to limit trips to the city where the hospital is located and to neighboring settlements.

Previously we reported:

• New virus strain — already in 23 countries: will “Cicada” return the world to restrictions and masks
• Quarantine due to rabies: a pet dog became the “trigger” for restrictions and urgent vaccinations in the Mykolaiv region
• Mykolaiv region in danger: rabies detected not only in dogs, but also in cats, goats and cows…