Russian authorities rule out plague as cause of death of laboratory worker in Siberia

According to official Russian information, the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia was not caused by a plague pathogen. The 28-year-old, who worked at an institute to combat plague diseases, died of “pneumonia of unknown origin”. This was announced by the Russian agency responsible for disease control, Rospotrebnadzor, as reported by the Interfax news agency.

No microorganisms “related to her professional activity” were detected in the patient’s samples. The woman died last Friday in the district hospital in the city of Shelekhov near Irkutsk in Siberia.

The US State Department is currently monitoring the case together with the US health authority CDC and other authorities. “Many details have not yet been confirmed. “We call on the Russian authorities to provide accurate information quickly and transparently,” said a ministry spokesman.

Reports of laboratory accidents are denied

According to Rospotrebnadzor, investigations showed that there was no laboratory accident at the institute in Irkutsk. There had previously been unconfirmed reports that the woman may have contracted pneumonic plague when she accidentally dropped a test tube.

The authority announced that the hygienic-epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region and in the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov is stable. A “package of measures will be implemented”. According to the Telegram channel “Ljudi Baykala”, three general hospitals in Irkutsk as well as a children's clinic and a maternity hospital have been quarantined for at least three weeks. According to local reports, the institute's employees were in quarantine at their workplace. No further infections were recorded.

Pneumonic plague is fatal without rapid treatment

Pneumonic plague is a severe form of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It can occur when the infection spreads to the lungs. The disease can be treated with antibiotics if therapy begins early.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the plague still occurs in countries in Africa, America and Asia, but not in Germany. The risk of someone infected with the plague entering the country is low.