Unconfirmed reports have suggested there was a laboratory accident.

Roughly 200 people are under medical observation, several hospitals are under quarantine, and dozens are in isolation in Russia following the unexplained death of an infectious disease researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia, in the town of Shelekhov, according to early reports of the situation on Sunday and Monday.

Researcher Darya Shipilova reportedly died last week from pneumonia of “unknown” cause, according to Rospotrebnadzor, a Russian public health agency.

    • CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.netOPEnglish
      31·
      4 days ago

      The head of the Russian region that neighbors Irkutsk, Alexey Tsydenov, initially reported that she had died of plague but later altered his statement to say she “possibly” died of the disease.

      the pathogen is generally easily treated by antibiotics… Additionally, though pneumonic plague is spread via respiratory particles from coughing, it is not considered highly infectious; it requires direct, close contact for the bacteria to be transmitted.

      • CrimeIsLegalNow@ani.social
        4·
        4 days ago

        Yeah, it’s very strange to have a case of plague that can’t be treated with antibiotics, it has little resistance as it’s mostly eradicated in the wild. There’s a couple thousand cases every year but I’ve never heard anyone being particularly concerned of it developing into a true danger simply because it is taken so seriously.

        For someone to die in a setting like this would require something really strange, like them lying about the disease(s) she was exposed to or the strain, for some reason, having broad antibiotic resistance.