Map Shows Countries Hit By Plague As Russian Lab Worker Dies
A laboratory worker in Irkutsk, Russia has died from the disease, according to reports.
A map released by the World Health Organization (WHO) illustrates the spread of the plague over the past seven years, following the death of a laboratory worker in Russia who died from the disease. According to Russian media, the woman, Daria Shipilova, a research associate at a plague institute near Irkutsk in Siberia, broke a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples, leading to her hospitalization and eventual death.
The cause of her death has not been officially confirmed by Russian authorities, although reports suggest it was pneumonic plague, the most lethal form of the disease. The WHO categorizes the plague into three main forms: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicaemic. Plague is an animal disease found on all continents except Oceania, and cases have been reported in Africa, Asia, and South America, with most human cases occurring in Africa since the 1990s.
Russia is also included on the WHO's map, though the latest data predates recent reports of the lab worker's death. Russian authorities have not confirmed the outbreak, but state and independent media have reported the case, fueling speculation about a potential cover-up. At least 197 people who may have come into contact with the woman have been placed under medical isolation, with some Irkutsk hospitals closed for quarantine.
Authorities have introduced a mask mandate and launched a criminal investigation into potential health safety violations.
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