Pneumonic plague outbreak hits Siberia as lab worker, 28, dies after breaking test tube and 200 people she was in contact with are put in quarantine

Published: 06:13 EDT, 3 October 2026 | Updated: 06:22 EDT, 3 October 2026 A female lab technician has died in Siberia of pneumonic plague after breaking a test tube, as at least 200 people are put under quarantine. Darya Shipilova, 28, was working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, which is where she is believed to have contracted the illness from a broken test tube, local news outlet 'People of Baikal' reports. Shipilova was admitted to hospital on September 29 and died two days later after having been placed on a ventilator, it is understood. It is understood that as many as 200 people with whom she may have had contact were under quarantine, the outlet added, without elaborating.There was no immediate statement from Russia's health ministry, but Alexei Tsydenov, governor of Russia's Buryatia region, had reported in a social media post earlier that a woman in the neighbouring Irkutsk region had 'died of plague'.Russia's Chief State Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova rushed to Siberia to take personal charge of the outbreak, according to reports, while a mask decree has been implemented in Irkutsk. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said: 'We held an extraordinary meeting of the regional sanitary and anti-epidemic commission with the participation of Russia's Chief State Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova.'The reason was information that had emerged about a suspected case of a particularly dangerous infectious disease in a resident of the region.' Lab worker Darya Shipilova, 28, died in Siberia of pneumonic plague after breaking a test tube Health officials have been pictured in the Irkutsk wearing hazmat suits Kobzev earlier refused to name the suspected disease.'All identified contacts have been placed under medical observation,' he said.'As of today, none of the contacts has any signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative.'Maxim Modin, mayor of nearby Shelekhov, told residents 'not to spread rumours or unreliable information - use only official sources.'He claimed: 'It is too early to draw final conclusions-we will wait for the specialists' findings.'Pneumonic plague is highly infectious and can be fatal if not treated early, according to the World Health Organisation.