Russia downplays 'plague' reports, says no evidence of pathogens found as Trump offers help

Irkutsk regional Governor said that expert commission inspection in the region had found that “the cause of death was pneumonia of undetermined aetiology”.

Updated on: Oct 6, 2026, 10:00:35 IST

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A laboratory worker at a Siberian institute specialising in plague research fell ill and later died under undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to place dozens of people under quarantine, while Russia’s health watchdog chief travelled to the Irkutsk region.

Amid reports of the death, Russian authorities sought to downplay concerns over reported possibility of “pneumonic plague” behind the worker's death as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that people should "rely on Rospotrebnadzor's official statements rather than… rumours and speculations".

Rospotrebnadzor is Russia's consumer and health watchdog.

What happened?

The reports emerged on Friday stating that 28-year-old Darya Shipilova had died from suspected pneumonic plague. Shipilova was employed at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, with news of her reported death triggering alarm.

Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube, reported Russian news outlet People of Baikal citing unnamed sources close to the regional security services. However, some other reports pointed to an accident at the lab which may have links with the woman's death.

Shorty after her death, around 200 people who may have come into contact with her were put under quarantine, the People of Baikal report said without giving much details.

According to Russian officials, the woman's postmortem report did not indicate that she had plague.

Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that a special expert commission inspection in the region had found that “the cause of death was pneumonia of undetermined aetiology”, reported news agency AFP.

He also added that tests found “no microorganisms linked to the young woman's professional work were found in her biological samples”, according to Russia's consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

Kobzev said that “no new cases” of staff from the same institute seeking medical attention have emerged and that the situation remains under their and experts' control.

US monitoring situation closely

United States President Donald Trump said Washington was keeping a close watch on the situation and was ready to provide assistance.

"We're looking at it very strongly, we just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about rhe situation.

“We'll help them, we'll help them as much as we can,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US saw no “cause for alarm” even though they are monitoring the situation closely.

"There's very limited travel between the US and Russia, obviously, but like anything else, something like that gets out, it could quickly spread," Rubio told reporters.

“So we're watching and monitoring it closely. I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it. And we're doing that,” he added.

What is pneumonic plague?

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas and is transmitted between animals through fleas, according to the World Health Organisation.

Humans can contract plague through the bite of infected vector fleas, unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials, or inhalation of respiratory particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague is when the bacteria infects the lungs is the most “virulent form of plague”, says WHO. It is also contagious and can trigger severe epidemics through person-to-person transmission via respiratory particles.

“Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via respiratory particles to other humans. Untreated pneumonic plague, if not diagnosed and treated early, can be fatal. However, recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time (within 24 hours of onset of symptoms),” the world health body says.

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