Siberia quarantines nearly 200 after lab worker dies in suspected plague case

Nearly 200 people in Siberia face quarantine after a 28-year-old lab worker died from severe pneumonia, with unconfirmed reports of a broken test tube containing plague bacteria. Russian health authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause of death. The worker, Darya Shipilova, was hospitalized on September 29 and died two days later. At least 197 contacts are under medical observation, with all tests negative and no symptoms reported. Rospotrebnadzor denies any lab accident and found no plague bacteria in her samples. The suspected infection is described as pneumonic plague, which spreads via respiratory droplets, unlike bubonic plague. Authorities are investigating the cause of death while urging calm, as the epidemiological situation remains stable.