Russia downplays 'plague' reports, says no evidence of pathogens found as Trump offers help

A laboratory worker at a Siberian institute specialising in plague research fell ill and later died under undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to place dozens of people under quarantine, while Russia’s health watchdog chief travelled to the Irkutsk region.

This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab. (The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research)Amid reports of the death, Russian authorities sought to downplay concerns over reported possibility of “pneumonic plague” behind the worker's death as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that people should "rely on Rospotrebnadzor's official statements rather than... rumours and speculations".

Rospotrebnadzor is Russia's consumer and health watchdog.

The reports emerged on Friday stating that 28-year-old Darya Shipilova had died from suspected pneumonic plague. Shipilova was employed at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, with news of her reported death triggering alarm.

Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube, reported Russian news outlet People of Baikal citing unnamed sources close to the regional security services. However, some other reports pointed to an accident at the lab which may have links with the woman's death.

Shorty after her death, around 200 people who may have come into contact with her were put under quarantine, the People of Baikal report said without giving much details.

According to Russian officials, the woman's postmortem report did not indicate that she had plague.

Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that a special expert commission inspection in the region had found that “the cause of death was pneumonia of undetermined aetiology”, reported news agency AFP.

He also added that tests found “no microorganisms linked to the young woman's professional work were found in her biological samples”, according to Russia's consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

Kobzev said that “no new cases” of staff from the same institute seeking medical attention have emerged and that the situation remains under their and experts' control.

United States President Donald Trump said Washington was keeping a close watch on the situation and was ready to provide assistance.

"We're looking at it very strongly, we just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about rhe situation.

“We'll help them, we'll help them as much as we can,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US saw no “cause for alarm” even though they are monitoring the situation closely.

"There's very limited travel between the US and Russia, obviously, but like anything else, something like that gets out, it could quickly spread," Rubio told reporters.

“So we're watching and monitoring it closely. I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it. And we're doing that,” he added.

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas and is transmitted between animals through fleas, according to the World Health Organisation.

Humans can contract plague through the bite of infected vector fleas, unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials, or inhalation of respiratory particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague is when the bacteria infects the lungs is the most “virulent form of plague”, says WHO. It is also contagious and can trigger severe epidemics through person-to-person transmission via respiratory particles.

“Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via respiratory particles to other humans. Untreated pneumonic plague, if not diagnosed and treated early, can be fatal. However, recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time (within 24 hours of onset of symptoms),” the world health body says.

Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More