A young laboratory worker in Russia’s Siberian region of Irkutsk has died of a suspected plague infection. Health officials have since put almost 200 people under medical watch as a precaution.

What happened

Alexei Tsydenov, head of the neighbouring republic of Buryatia, said the woman died of plague. Local officials had earlier only called it a “particularly dangerous infection.” newsbeep

Local outlet Lyudi Baikala named her as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute. Some outlets give her age as 27. According to the outlet, she broke a test tube containing the disease-causing bacteria on September 25 and soon felt unwell. She was taken to a hospital in the town of Shelekhov, where she spent three days before dying in the early hours of October 2. theins.ru +2

Quarantine and precautions

Reports say 197 people who had contact with her were identified, and 189 of them were taken to hospital for observation. The inpatient department of the Shelekhov hospital was closed under quarantine, but the outpatient clinic stayed open. Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, is carrying out a full set of epidemic-control measures. In the Russian Federation, a young woman died of plague: nearly 200 people who had contact with her were hospitalized +2

What officials say about the risk

The news so far is reassuring. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said on October 2 that none of the contacts showed any signs of illness, and that their lab tests were negative. Tsydenov also said the woman had not visited Buryatia, so there is no outbreak there. unncharter97

Why people are worried

Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can spread from person to person through droplets in the air. That is why the authorities are being so careful. Plague is a very old disease, but it can be treated with antibiotics if caught early. newsbeep

What we still don’t know

Much of this story comes from regional media and unnamed sources, not from full official statements. The exact cause of the infection and the details of the lab accident have not been officially confirmed. We will update this report as more information comes in.