Russia Says No New Plague Restrictions After Lab Worker Death

Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said no special sanitary measures have been issued in Irkutsk after a laboratory technician died, despite media reports of a plague case. The 28‑year‑old technician, Darya Shipilova, worked for the anti‑plague institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region. Reports on Friday claimed she died of pneumonic plague, possibly after a broken test‑tube accident, and that up to 200 contacts were placed under quarantine. Russian officials said post‑mortem tests did not detect plague bacteria. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said a special Rospotrebnadzor commission found the cause of death to be pneumonia of undetermined origin and that no microorganisms linked to her work were found in her samples. He added that no other institute staff have sought medical care since the death. Rospotrebnadzor also warned that a document circulating online about heightened sanitary‑epidemiological restrictions in the region was fake and that the situation remains stable. The United States, through President Donald Trump, said Washington is closely monitoring the incident and is ready to assist Russia if needed. ## Context Plague is a bacterial disease that can spread in several forms; pneumonic plague spreads through the lungs and can be fatal without early treatment. Reports of a lab‑related case raise concern, but officials have found no evidence of the disease in the worker’s samples.