Russian health authorities placed nearly 200 people under medical observation and applied quarantine measures at medical facilities in Siberia’s Irkutsk region after a laboratory employee died following an “unknown infection.”
The employee, identified in Russian media reports as Darya Shipilova, was 28 years old and worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk. According to reports cited from The Moscow Times and other Russian outlets, she was hospitalized in Shelekhov with symptoms of severe pneumonia on or about September 29, placed on a ventilator, and died on October 1.
Russia’s consumer protection and public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, later stated that she had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology.”
Alexei Tsydenov, head of the neighboring republic of Buryatia, said the employee had died “possibly from the plague.” He added, “There are no plague outbreaks in the republic, including in areas bordering Mongolia,” and stated that the case was unrelated to Buryatia.
Irkutsk regional officials had earlier referred to a “suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection” or a “particularly dangerous infection.”
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Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev stated that an “extraordinary” meeting of the regional anti-epidemic commission was held with Russia’s chief state sanitary doctor. “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 said on October 2.
He later noted that preventive measures were under the supervision of Rospotrebnadzor and that the employee had contracted “pneumonia of unknown origin,” according to the agency. “No microorganisms linked to the employee’s professional duties were detected in samples taken from the patient,” he added.
The agency said special measures had been carried out “in connection with the case of an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute” diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” A commission examined the institute and reported that no accidents involving pathogenic microorganisms had occurred and that no staff members showed symptoms of an infectious disease.
Investigators reviewed accounts of a laboratory incident and a possible trip abroad and reported finding no supporting evidence for either. Expanded testing of the patient’s samples found no microorganisms associated with her work, according to the agency. Among contacts under observation, tests identified two cases of COVID-19 and two of rhinovirus, with no other infectious pathogens reported.
Additional reporting from regional outlet Lyudi Baikala stated that at least 197 people who may have had contact with the employee were identified. Of these, 189 were hospitalized for observation — 114 in one facility, 63 in another, and 12 at the anti-plague institute — while the remainder were monitored without hospitalization.
The Shelekhov district hospital, where she was treated, was placed under quarantine. Separate reports indicated quarantine measures at additional facilities in Irkutsk, including city hospitals No. 1, No. 3, and No. 10, the Ivano-Matreninskaya Children’s Clinical Hospital, and at least one maternity hospital. The Irkutsk Aluminum Plant directed staff to wear masks.
Planned public events in Irkutsk were canceled, and a criminal investigation into possible sanitary violations was opened, according to Russian media.
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