The suspicious death of an employee at a plague research institute in Russia has raised concerns about a possible laboratory accident and epidemic.
elchi reports that while Russia’s Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being Supervision has denied these claims, a US State Department official stated that they are closely monitoring the situation, adding: “We call on the Russian authorities to share accurate information with the public quickly and transparently.”
Concerns about a laboratory accident and epidemic arose after a female laboratory technician working at Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in the Siberian region died from a suspected infection on the night of October 2nd.
According to the Russian press, the institute’s 28-year-old employee, Darya Shipilova, was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown origin; it was claimed that she had come into contact with a broken test tube containing the *Yersinia pestis* bacterium, which causes plague. Some media outlets wrote that the young technician contracted the disease after returning from a business trip. It is reported that approximately 200 people have been placed under medical observation as a precautionary measure.
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Suspicious death of a laboratory worker in Russia sparks epidemic fears
