A 28-year-old researcher in Siberia has died of a pneumonia of unknown origin after an apparent lab accident, prompting quarantine measures and medical monitoring of nearly 200 contacts.
Death of researcher in Siberia
Daria Shipilova died on October 1 in Shelekhov, a town in Siberia, Russia. She was a researcher at an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk, which examines high-risk bacterial and viral infections. Russian public health agency officials have described her illness as a 'pneumonia of unknown' origin.
Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported that Shipilova broke a test tube, though inspections found none of the pathogens clinicians are working with in her body. Telegram outlet Baza said Shipilova fell ill returning from Buryatia, where an outbreak erupted among squirrels, but local officials deny this.
Quarantine and monitoring
Parts of Shelekhov Hospital, where Shipilova was treated for two days, were quarantined. Nearly 200 people who came into contact with Shipilova have been placed under medical observation, according to Russia's REN TV. None have shown signs of illness.
Professor Malick Gibani, an infectious diseases expert at Imperial College London, says the response is expected. 'It's not clear to me if this is a confirmed case or if there are any recognised suspected secondary cases,' he tells Metro. 'Hopefully, the information will come out in time.'
Understanding pneumonic plague
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. 'Pneumonic plague is generally considered a severe disease and is of public health interest because there can be person-to-person spread,' says Professor Gibani.
Symptoms include high fevers, shortness of breath, shaking chills, pneumonia, headaches, chest pain, and bloody or watery mucus. The pneumonic form kills faster than the bubonic plague, known as the Black Death in the Middle Ages. The mortality rate is nearly 100% for pneumonic and septicemic forms and around 60% for bubonic, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Pandemic risk and treatment
Professor Brendan Wren, co-director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says 'Not really but we need to monitor.' Yersinia pestis is not nearly as transmissible as SARS-CoV-2, he adds. 'Plague is still endemic in many parts of the world, including western parts of the US. So there shouldn't be too much concern, as the transmission of Yersinia pestis between humans is generally poor.'
Antibiotics are effective if the patient is diagnosed early. Some plague strains are starting to resist antibiotics, and if Shipilova was exposed to one, her treatment options would have been limited. Professor Wren adds that anti-plague labs are vital for developing improved vaccines. 'If Yersinia pestis was weaponised, a vaccine for military personnel may be desirable,' he says. The UKHSA has been approached for comment.
