Where did the russian plague infection come from? Two theories emerge

A Russian laboratory technician who worked in plague research died after becoming infected, while authorities are monitoring around 190 people who may have been exposed. According to a local report, the young woman may have contracted the disease after accidentally breaking a test tube containing the pathogen , although another version suggests the infection occurred outside the laboratory. Authorities have not confirmed either scenario.

Daria Shipilova , 28, worked as a technician at the Irkutsk anti-plague laboratory in eastern Siberia , a facility that handles rare diseases. According to the independent outlet People of Baikal , she may have accidentally broken a test tube containing pneumonic plague.

Shipilova was admitted on September 29 to a hospital in the nearby city of Shelekhov, thousands of miles east of Moscow , with pneumonia symptoms and was placed on a ventilator. She died two days later, according to The Moscow Times .

Quarantine and authorities’ response

On Saturday , 189 people who may have come into contact with her were placed under quarantine, including other employees at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute . Regional governor Igor Kobzev said authorities held an emergency meeting over the weekend to address the “particularly dangerous infection” inside the laboratory. So far, no one else has shown symptoms, he said.

Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor , said some of those placed under “anti-epidemic measures” tested positive for other illnesses, including colds or COVID-19 . The agency attributed Shipilova’s death to “pneumonia of unknown origin.” Details surrounding the case remain limited in a country with little press freedom.

Where did the infection come from?

There is currently no official answer. Two versions have emerged:

Laboratory accident: According to People of Baikal, Shipilova broke a test tube containing pneumonic plague and later became ill. It is the most striking theory, but it is based on a single report and has not been confirmed by authorities.

Infection during a trip: Russian outlet Mash reported that the technician became ill after returning from a work trip to the neighboring region of Buryatia, where a plague outbreak had previously been recorded.

The official explanation of “pneumonia of unknown origin” does not clarify the source of the infection, and until laboratory analysis or an official report is released, both theories remain possible.

How plague is normally transmitted

Plague is usually spread through the bites of infected fleas that live on rodents. The region has a history of cases: the last recorded plague infection in Russia occurred in 2016 in Altai , when a 10-year-old boy contracted the disease after slaughtering a marmot. In neighboring Mongolia, authorities identified 137 outbreaks in 2023 across 17 regions .

In this case, the disease is pneumonic plague, a form that can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. Symptoms typically appear one to three days after exposure and can worsen rapidly. Without treatment, it can cause swelling, shortness of breath and chest pain, but it can be cured with antibiotics if treated quickly, according to the CDC.

The so-called Black Death killed between 75 million and 200 million people in the 14th century , including between 30% and 60% of Europe’s population.