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Russian authorities have sought to reassure the public after a laboratory worker in Siberia died, but quarantine measures and new hospital precautions have fuelled questions about what happened. The woman worked at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia, and officials have not publicly identified the illness that caused her death. CNN reported on the measures and residents’ concerns.
A maternity hospital in Irkutsk has introduced health checks and questionnaires covering symptoms associated with plague and other infectious diseases, according to CNN. Ulyana Gavryunina, a 29-year-old blogger from Angarsk, said she changed hospitals at 40 weeks pregnant after restrictions prevented her husband from accompanying her during labour.
At a scheduled appointment at the Irkutsk City Perinatal Center, Gavryunina said her mother was refused entry. Staff checked her temperature, asked her to show her tongue, instructed her to wear a mask and sanitize her hands, and gave her two questionnaires. One was titled “Checklist for Suspected Highly Dangerous Infectious Disease Plague” and listed symptoms including high fever and chest pain.
Staff did not mention plague, she said, and instead referred to an unidentified “new virus.” Gavryunina described the atmosphere inside the hospital as calm, but said she was concerned that her husband could no longer be present during the birth, even if he underwent additional tests.
Some residents have questioned whether authorities are providing full information. One person commenting beneath Gavryunina’s social media post said it felt as if the public was not being told “the whole story,” pointing to hospital restrictions and reports of ambulance doctors wearing full Covid protective suits.
Another resident, who identified herself only as Ekaterina, told CNN she had seen little change in daily life, although some acquaintances were “slightly panicking.” Skepticism has also appeared in local Telegram groups.
What is known about the laboratory worker’s death
Independent regional outlet Lyudi Baikala reported that the laboratory worker, identified by local media as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, was hospitalized on September 29. She is believed to have died at a hospital in Shelekhov, southwest of Irkutsk, at the end of the following week. A friend told CNN she died on October 2 but provided no further details.
Unverified reports have suggested that Shipilova may have fallen ill following a laboratory leak or after travelling to another region. Russia’s health and consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said she died of pneumonia of “unknown” origin and played down a possible connection to her work.
The public concern grew after Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev wrote on Telegram on October 2 that Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova had held an “extraordinary meeting” about a suspected case of a “particularly dangerous infection” in a regional resident. Kobzev did not name plague.
Alexey Tsydenov, head of neighbouring Buryatia, initially said the woman “died of plague in the Irkutsk region,” Russian media reported. His statement was later edited to say she had “possibly died from plague.” The cause of her illness and how she contracted it remain unclear.
Authorities and neighbouring countries respond
Rospotrebnadzor has said the region’s “epidemiological situation” is stable. Local media reported that 60 employees of the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute were quarantined and that restrictions were imposed at a number of hospitals.
The Kremlin has urged people to follow updates from the health watchdog rather than rumours. Asked for more information on Tuesday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred journalists to the agency, saying it “continues its work.” The watchdog has released limited details.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Russia on Tuesday to share more information about the laboratory worker’s death, while cautioning against speculation in the absence of facts. The World Health Organization said it was in contact with Russian health authorities to verify the event, its circumstances, laboratory tests and results. Based on unofficial information, it said the risk to the general public appeared low.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have introduced quarantine controls at state border crossings. Uzbekistan said it had increased authorities’ readiness to respond to highly infectious diseases.
The institute says it has around 95 researchers and monitors and helps prevent outbreaks of high-risk bacterial and viral infections across Siberia and Russia’s Far East. Established in 1934 to combat plague, it continues to study the disease because the bacterium Yersinia pestis circulates naturally in wildlife in parts of Siberia and neighbouring regions.
