What do we know so far about plague institute lab worker's death in Russia
Here's what we know about the case, which officials have not linked to her work or plague, and about the disease she studied.
Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, died under mysterious circumstances on October 2. Authorities initially quarantined around 200 people in contact with her, causing public health concerns. Shipilova was vaccinated against the disease she studied, giving her immunity to potential infections.
Russia's health regulator, Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic and that they were winding down their precautionary measures. Unconfirmed reports circulated on social media, but these theories have since been rejected by Russian health watchdogs. Plague, a bacterium called Yersinia pestis, causes severe illness but is rare in Russia and can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
The WHO has requested more information from Russia and the United States regarding the case, as it is a full member of the organization.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
