Russian lab worker’s death sparks suspected plague investigation

Russian authorities have placed around 200 people under medical observation amid suspicions of plague, following the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in the Irkutsk region.

By Anders Göransson

October 5, 2026 4:06 PM

According to local media, Darja Shipilova worked as a laboratory assistant at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute when she allegedly accidentally broke a test tube containing the bacterium that causes the deadly and highly infectious disease pneumonic plague on 25 September. The claim has not been confirmed by Russian authorities.

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Russian lab worker’s death sparks suspected plague investigation

Russian lab worker’s death sparks suspected plague investigation

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