US experts have raised fears that a suspected plague outbreak in Russia could rapidly spread across borders, following the mysterious death of a Siberian laboratory worker. The incident has triggered hospital lockdowns and tightened border controls in neighbouring countries.
Lab worker death sparks alarm
Daria Shipilova, 28, fell ill in Shelekhov and later died. Reports from inside Russia claim the lab technician smashed a glass test tube containing lethal bacteria while working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Kremlin officials deny any lab disaster occurred, stating that Daria died from "pneumonia of unknown aetiology".
Strict isolation measures and sudden hospital lockdowns have sparked concerns of a possible cover-up. Dr Andrew Weber, a former US Department of Defence official who has previously inspected Soviet-era anti-plague labs, warned Western authorities must act quickly.
Experts urge monitoring
Dr Weber told The Sun: "If I were a public health authority in London, I would be monitoring flights and passengers coming from the region and screening them at the airport." He warned the threat level could rise sharply if it is confirmed that Daria contracted pneumonic plague, the airborne strain that caused the medieval Black Death. "If it's pneumonic plague, which spreads through the air, it could spread pretty quickly," he said.
The White House confirmed the Trump administration "is aware of the outbreak, is monitoring it, and is evaluating possible courses of action."
Neighbours tighten borders
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia have all implemented preventive measures and tightened border controls. Inside Siberia, authorities have placed nearly 200 people in isolation across multiple hospitals. More than 60 of Daria's colleagues were reportedly locked inside the anti-plague institute and forced to sleep on floors and chairs.
Factory workers at the Irkutsk Aluminium Plant have been ordered to wear masks, while strict quarantines have been imposed on children's and maternity hospitals. One patient at City Clinical Hospital No.1 said: "We are under full quarantine. None of our relatives are being allowed in. We are not being allowed out."
Secrecy fuels distrust
The Kremlin's secrecy has heightened fears. Dr Weber said: "The lack of information is very disturbing. Putin is a habitual liar and they cover up things that make them look bad. So it wouldn't surprise me that this is sort of normal procedure." Simon Clarke, head of biomedical studies at Reading University, told The Sun: "They cover it up because they're embarrassed. It looks bad, it looks amateur, not something that happens in a properly developed nation."
Locals remain sceptical. One Siberian resident said: "The more they reassure us, the more frightening it gets." Another added: "They're lying just for the sake of lying, automatically. It's been like that for a long time."
While Russia's health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor maintains the situation is "stable", experts worry the Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs through Irkutsk, could allow an infected carrier to reach major hubs before boarding international flights.
