Siberian lab worker's suspected plague death triggers hospital quarantines

A lab worker in Siberia has died of suspected plague, prompting quarantine measures at several hospitals in eastern Russia. The cause of death remains unconfirmed. Darya Shipilova, an employee at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, died on 2 October after two days of illness. Russian officials have given conflicting accounts, with the health watchdog citing "pneumonia of unknown aetiology" while a regional leader initially mentioned plague before retracting. Authorities have isolated institute staff and restricted access to multiple hospitals for three weeks. Plague is endemic in Siberian wildlife, though human cases are rare, with the last recorded infection in 2016. US officials have urged Russia to share accurate information, noting the disease is treatable with antibiotics.