Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies from Plague

A laboratory worker in Russia’s Irkutsk region has died after contracting plague, and nearly 200 people have been placed under medical observation. The woman, identified by media as Daria Sh., in her late 20s and employed at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute, reportedly broke a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples. She developed severe pneumonia, was hospitalized in Shelekhov, placed on a ventilator and died a few days later. Officials initially called it a particularly dangerous infection, and regional authorities later confirmed plague without specifying the form.

Authorities quarantined the Shelekhov district hospital pending a special commission’s assessment, isolated about 197 contacts - more than 100 of whom are in hospital wards - and canceled public events while opening a criminal probe into potential health-safety violations. Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev met with the head of Rospotrebnadzor and urged calm, saying all identified contacts currently show no symptoms and have negative tests, though he did not explicitly address reports of the death. Neighboring Buryatia’s leader said the case is unrelated to his region. Media accounts describe the infection as suspected pneumonic plague, which can spread between humans via respiratory droplets.