Russian lab worker dies after suspected plague exposure, over 200 people under observation

05 Oct 2026, 07:00 by Abhilasha · KalingaTV

New-Delhi: The Health authorities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region have placed nearly 200 people under medical observation after a 28-year-old laboratory worker died from plague.

She died following severe pneumonia, with reports linking her illness to a possible exposure to a dangerous pathogen at an anti-plague research facility.

The incident occurred in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk, where the woman worked at the Anti-Plague Research Institute.

She reportedly told medical staff that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples for testing.

She was hospitalized Tuesday with symptoms of severe pneumonia. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she was placed on a ventilator before dying on Thursday. Reports have raised fears that she may have been exposed to pneumonic plague, although Russian authorities have not officially confirmed that plague was the cause of her illness or death.

Around 200 people who are believed to have had direct or indirect contact with the laboratory worker have reportedly been placed under medical isolation, according to regional reports. More than 100 of them are being monitored in hospital wards.

Authorities have also introduced quarantine measures at the Shelekhov District Hospital, while a nearby maternity facility has reportedly been placed under restrictions as part of the precautionary response.

Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev urged the public to remain calm after meeting with Rospotrebnadzor chief Anna Popova to coordinate emergency containment measures.

“All identified contact persons have been placed under medical observation. As of today, the contacts show no signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative,” Kobzev wrote on Telegram on Friday. He did not mention the reports of the laboratory worker’s death.

Russian lab worker dies after suspected plague exposure, over 200 people under observation

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