Suspected Pneumonic Plague Kills Lab Worker in Siberia

A suspected pneumonic plague outbreak in Russia has resulted in one death, prompting the closure of five hospitals in the Irkutsk region of Siberia for three weeks. The deceased is 28-year-old laboratory technician Darya Shipilova, who worked at a plague research institute. Shipilova reportedly died of pneumonic plague, though the cause of death is not yet confirmed. Around 200 people have been placed in quarantine, and residents are advised to wear masks and are stockpiling antibiotics. Authorities warned nearby Baikalsk residents against travel, but the statement was later deleted. Shipilova had reported breaking a test tube containing the plague bacteria days before her death, but Rospotrebnadzor dismissed the report, denying an emergency. The regional governor says she died of pneumonia of unknown origin, and information about the outbreak has been repeatedly edited or removed.