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What do we know about plague institute lab worker's death in Russia?

MOSCOW/LONDON — A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances on October 2, prompting authorities to quarantine about 200 people and causing public health fears on social media. Here's what we know about the case, which officials have not linked to her work or plague, and about the disease she studied. What happened? Russian media…

What do we know about plague institute lab worker's death in Russia?

A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia, Darya Shipilova, passed away under undisclosed circumstances on October 2, leading to public health concerns. Russian media identified her as a 28-year-old lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. Authorities confirmed she died of an unknown type of pneumonia, but stated they were quarantining those who had contact with her as a precautionary measure.

Unverified theories about her illness circulated on social media, including dropping a test tube with live bacteria, traveling to Thailand, or visiting an area near the border with Mongolia. However, there is no supporting evidence in the public domain to back these theories.

Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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