Irkutsk residents react to suspected plague death at Siberian institute

Residents in the Siberian city of Irkutsk are reacting to reports that a worker at the local Research Institute for Plague Control died from suspected pneumonic plague, Euronews reported. The Guardian reported that 28-year-old laboratory worker Darya Shipilova died after falling ill at work following a reported accident at the research centre. According to Euronews, authorities have stated that the cause of death has not been confirmed. [1][3]

The Guardian reported that quarantine measures have been put in place in several hospitals in eastern Russia following the worker's illness. According to Euronews, Russia's health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor denied claims that special measures were introduced. Euronews noted that local residents who had contact with the worker were isolated, while some residents remain sceptical of official explanations. [1][3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Russian officials previously placed dozens of people under quarantine after the laboratory worker died under undisclosed circumstances. FTMQ News also reported that the head of Russia's health watchdog flew to the Irkutsk region to inspect the situation, while Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst described the event as an isolated incident made serious by its link to a laboratory. [15][16]

Authorities maintain that the public health situation remains under control, according to Euronews and earlier FTMQ News reports. The World Health Organisation has assessed the public risk outside Russia as low, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [1][15][16]