Russia has reported that no other cases of plague have been detected among individuals in Siberia following the death of a lab worker last week. The country's health watchdog confirmed that no infectious diseases have been reported among staff at the plague institute in Irkutsk. Further testing of the deceased worker's body found no 'microorganisms' linked to her work, according to the authorities.
US Embassy advises immediate departure
Despite the reassuring statements from Russian authorities, the US Embassy has urged American citizens in Russia to 'depart immediately'. The consulate stated: 'The State Department's Level 4 Travel Advisory (Do Not Travel) for Russia remains in place and states U.S. citizens currently in Russia should depart immediately.' It added: 'U.S. citizens planning travel to Russia are again strongly advised not to travel to Russia due to risk of wrongful detention and security concerns.'
Citizens in the Irkutsk area have been advised to follow the guidance of local health authorities, avoid affected facilities, and seek medical care promptly if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms. US citizens who have travelled to Irkutsk are told to monitor their health for 14 days.
Lab worker's death and lockdown
On October 1, lab worker Daria Shipilova, 28, died of what Russia's public health agency has called a 'pneumonia of unknown origin'. Shipilova was a researcher at an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk, which examines high-risk bacterial and viral infections. Plague lab staff and relatives told Sibir.Realii that the lab is under partial lockdown, with staff sleeping on the floors as there are no beds.
Contact tracing and disease context
Nearly 200 people who came into contact with Shipilova were placed under medical observation, according to Russia's REN TV. None have shown signs of illness, and an estimated 60% have now been released. Shipilova reportedly died of pneumonic plague, which infests the lungs. The disease is the rarest but most infectious of the three types of plague, all caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The mortality rate is nearly 100% for pneumonic and septicemic forms and around 60% for bubonic, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
