Russia denies imposing anti-plague measures after lab worker death

Russia denies plague cases after laboratory technician’s death; US demands ‘transparency’ as WHO monitors situation.Russian authorities have denied that they imposed anti-plague measures after a laboratory technician died of suspected pneumonic plague in a case which has drawn international scrutiny.Russian media reported that a 28-year-old woman named Darya Shipilova, who had been working at the Irkutsk Anti-plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died from suspected pneumonic plague on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bubonic plague in China not a high risk: WHOlist 2 of 3China plague claims third victimlist 3 of 3Madagascar has the plague: What you should knowend of listRospotrebnadzor, Russia’s health watchdog, said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among staff who had come ⁠into contact with the laboratory worker for the past 10 days.“This included identifying the widest possible circle of individuals who had been in contact with the patient and arranging for them to be placed under medical observation in hospital with daily laboratory tests,” the watchdog said.The institute said in a statement that extensive testing during an autopsy on the woman’s body found no microorganisms linked to her work at the anti-plague institute.It said results had revealed two cases of COVID-19 and two cases of rhinovirus infection, but that no pathogens causing other infectious diseases had been detected.Elena Sofina, deputy head of the Shelekhov district near Irkutsk, where a local hospital was placed under quarantine, said no “dangerous diagnosis” had been confirmed.She added that 60 percent of ⁠those placed under quarantine as a precaution had already been released.Local media said about 200 people ⁠had previously been quarantined.A view of the Medical Assistance and Rescue Centre, an infectious diseases hospital, in the town of Shelekhov in the Irkutsk region, Russia, October 5, 2026 [Reuters]‘Transparency’US Secretary ⁠of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday it was incumbent on Moscow to share more information on Friday.