Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, Russia, died on October 2, two days after falling ill at work. The exact details surrounding her death remain unclear, with conflicting accounts emerging.
Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, attributed Shipilova's death to "pneumonia of unknown aetiology." However, Alexey Tsydenov, the head of the neighbouring Buryatia region, initially stated she had died of plague, later revising his social media post to say she had "possibly" died of the disease. Russian authorities have denied any plague case in Irkutsk to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Almost 200 people who may have had contact with Shipilova are reportedly under medical observation, and quarantines have been imposed in some hospitals. Dr Simon Clarke at the University of Reading noted that while plague is treatable with antibiotics if administered early, multi-antibiotic-resistant strains are emerging. Prof Alice Hughes at the University of Melbourne stated that the incubation period for pneumonic plague is one to three days, and no one has yet shown symptoms.
The WHO's initial risk assessment indicates a moderate to low risk for Irkutsk, low for the Russian Federation, and very low for the WHO European region. Experts, including Dr Malick Gibani at Imperial College London, have stressed the importance of transparency and good communication between public health authorities and the global health community.