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Lab worker’s final mistake sparks ‘Black Death plague’ and Covid-like restrictions in Russia
Following reports of a suspected “plague” outbreak in Russia, several hospitals have allegedly been placed under quarantine, with five medical facilities now said to be subject to restrictions.
The hospitals in Siberia are reportedly facing a minimum three-week lockdown following the death of a 28-year-old laboratory technician who allegedly became infected with an "unspecified form of plague”.
Devastating mistake of technician leads to death
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According to independent outlet Baikal People, hospitals across Russia's Irkutsk region were forced to quarantine after laboratory worker Darya Shipilova died following an incident involving the potentially deadly bacteria Yersinia pestis, which causes plague.
Shipilova was reportedly working with samples at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute on September 25 when she broke a test tube containing live Yersinia pestis. The bacterium is responsible for plague, a serious infectious disease that is most commonly associated with small mammals and the fleas that carry it.
What initially appeared to involve a single healthcare facility has reportedly expanded, with the number of hospitals affected increasing from one to five in just days, with City Clinical Hospitals Nos. 1, 3 and 10, along with the Ivano-Matreninskaya City Children's Clinical Hospital supposedly affected.
Siberia placed under quarantine
A source within the healthcare sector told Baikal People that doctors in the region are "already openly talking about the plague," with precautionary measures reportedly being introduced elsewhere in Irkutsk.
A mask requirement has been brought in at a major aluminium plant in the region, echoing restrictions introduced in the UK and elsewhere during the Covid pandemic.
Around 200 people are reportedly being kept under medical observation following the incident. Health authorities are said to have imposed strict measures at the affected facilities, with people reportedly prevented from leaving or visiting relatives while they remain under observation.
Pneumonic plague can develop rapidly, with initial symptoms generally appearing around four to seven days after exposure, although the precise circumstances surrounding the reported case remain unclear.
The Moscow Times reported that Alexei Tsydenov, head of the neighbouring Republic of Buryatia, confirmed the woman had died from an unspecified form of plague.
There have also been reports that ambulances transporting people for testing were accompanied by officers from Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB.
The developments have prompted growing concern about the possibility of the disease spreading beyond the immediate area, with several US politicians reportedly calling for commercial air travel to and from Russia to be suspended until more information becomes available.