Plague Fears Emerge Following Mysterious Lab Incident in Russia   

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  Health authorities around the globe are closely monitoring a reported disease outbreak in Russia following the death of a plague lab technician. Darya Shipilova, 28, died on Oct. 2 after developing pneumonia of unknown origin.

  Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia and was hospitalized on Sept. 29 with severe respiratory symptoms. According to local Russian media outlet People of Baikal, she accidentally broke a test tube containing the bacterium Yersinia pestis while at work, raising suspicions that she may have contracted the pathogen. Yersinia pestis is what caused the Black Death, a plague pandemic that killed an estimated 30% to 60% of Europe’s population in the 14th century.

  However, Russian authorities have denied this speculation. Irkutsk regional Gov. Igor Kobzev said Shipilova’s biological samples showed no microorganisms linked to her lab work. Despite this statement, five hospitals, the research lab, and about 200 close contacts of the deceased scientist were reportedly placed under lockdown or quarantine after her death. World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters that Russian authorities claimed to have not detected pathogens associated with dangerous infectious diseases among the contacts.

  According to Al Jazeera, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “the vast majority of what the media is reporting regarding this situation is false information.” However, the United States, the European Union, and the WHO have called on Russia to be more transparent about the situation. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Oct. 7 that he did not believe the infection came from a bioweapon and that Russia had informed him that the situation was under control.

  Plague is an infectious disease that mainly affects small mammals but can also spread to humans via infected fleas. Transmission can occur through the bites of infected fleas or inhalation of bacteria-containing respiratory droplets. The latter is how pneumonic plague spreads from person to person. This particularly dangerous form of the disease affects the lungs and can trigger severe pneumonia. Without immediate antibiotic treatment, it can be fatal.

  Given the current political climate, the WHO has limited ability to investigate the case and must rely on information from Russia. The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Oct. 7 that the agency still lacked a full picture of the event and could not conduct a complete risk assessment.