Siberian Plague Research Institute Employee Dies From Unknown Pneumonia, Sparks Quarantine

Authorities have quarantined a hospital and are monitoring contacts after an employee at a Siberian plague research institute contracted pneumonia of unknown origin. Local state television reported the woman died last week.

Officials stated they found no evidence linking her illness to any pathogens she handled. However, the case has raised concern after unconfirmed reports suggested she may have died of pneumonic plague, a severe and potentially transmissible form of the disease.

The victim worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. A regional state TV station reported Monday that she died last week at a hospital in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk.

Mayor Maxim Modin said Friday the hospital has been placed under quarantine, ceasing admissions and discharges, and its laboratory suspended routine testing. The outpatient clinic remained operational, he added.

Anna Popova, head of Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, traveled to Irkutsk Friday to meet with Governor Igor Kobzev and other officials.

Kobzev said all contacts of the woman are under medical supervision. He did not specify the infection but described it as a suspected case of a particularly dangerous pathogen.

Rospotrebnadzor was implementing comprehensive anti-epidemic measures, he added.

Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology, and extensive testing revealed no microorganisms linked to her professional activities.

The agency also reported no incidents involving pathogenic microorganisms at the institute.

The agency said two contacts tested positive for a common cold virus and two others for COVID-19, while all other tests came back negative.

Independent local outlet Lyudi Baikala cited unidentified sources claiming the woman died of pneumonic plague and that several Irkutsk hospitals were quarantined.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the public and media should rely on official Rospotrebnadzor statements rather than rumors or speculation.

The Irkutsk Aluminum Plant in Shelekhov mandated masks for staff as a precaution, director Artyom Fominykh said Saturday on Telegram, urging calm and stating, “Better be safe than sorry.”

The World Health Organization describes pneumonic plague as a less common but severe form of plague caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium typically found in small mammals and their fleas.

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