Russian health authorities dismissed rumors of a second person falling sick after the death of a lab worker at a plague research facility in Siberia. The health regulator refuted false claims circulating on social media about a second illness case. They confirmed that all contacts of the deceased woman were checked, revealing no health issues related to infectious diseases. Nearly 5,000 laboratory tests showed no dangerous pathogens.
The 28-year-old lab employee, Daria Shipilova, passed away from pneumonia of unknown origin at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Russian officials swiftly implemented precautionary anti-epidemic measures following the incident. The World Health Organization indicated a low public health risk in Russia based on available information but requested further details from Russian authorities for a comprehensive risk assessment.
Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are monitoring the situation. Both countries perceive a minimal risk at present. The CDC director assured that the risk to the U.S. from an unconfirmed pneumonic plague case in Siberia is extremely low. The CDC is prepared to monitor and screen travelers, with a port health station at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Direct flights between Russia and the United States have been halted since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Around 200 individuals from the Siberian region travel to the U.S. annually.
