Plague death triggers quarantine, mask mandates in Russia's Irkutsk region in Siberia
The measures come after Darya Shipilova, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, died after reportedly contracting plague on Oct. 2.
A laboratory worker in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast died from plague on October 2, prompting a series of precautionary measures in the region. Darya Shipilova, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, is believed to have contracted the disease after accidentally breaking a test tube containing the pathogen while collecting samples.
The Irkutsk Aluminum Plant and several hospitals in the city have instituted quarantines and mask mandates in response to the outbreak. Several hospitals in Irkutsk, including No. 1, 3, and 10, as well as the Ivanovo-Matreninsk Children's Clinical Hospital, have closed for a three-week quarantine. The cause of Shipilova's death and the potential risk of plague infection in the region remain unclear, with Russian officials evasive about the details.
Authorities in Baykalsk urged residents to avoid visiting Shelekhov and nearby settlements due to the reported case, but deleted the warning less than two hours later. All individuals who had contact with Shipilova have been identified, examined, and placed under medical observation, with daily laboratory testing conducted.
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