▲ Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute
Anxiety is spreading following unconfirmed reports and rumors, such as claims that another staff member has fallen ill and additional fatalities have occurred, amid continuing uncertainty over the truth after a female researcher died of "severe pneumonia of unknown cause" following a laboratory accident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, Russia.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated in a post on the social media platform X on the 6th (local time) that the organization has requested additional information from Russia regarding "media reports about the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that triggered public health measures, and another staff member suffering from pneumonia of unknown origin."
Urging Russia to disclose information, Director-General Tedros stated, "To clarify conflicting reports and accurately assess potential public health risks, it is essential to share information in a timely, complete, and transparent manner in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR)."
According to reports compiled so far, an accident occurred on September 25 when Daria Shipilova (28), a female employee working at a laboratory of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, accidentally broke a test tube containing live pathogens.
Shipilova's symptoms worsened on September 27, she was hospitalized on September 29, and she died on October 2 in the intensive care unit of a hospital located in Shelekhov.
Russian authorities announced her cause of death as "pneumonia of unknown origin," stating that no work-related microorganisms were detected in her samples and that no pathogen accident had occurred at the institute.
However, reports have continued to emerge both inside and outside Russia pointing to the possibility that Shipilova died of pneumonic plague resulting from exposure to Yersinia pestis, the plague pathogen.
Regarding the WHO's request for verification under the IHR, Director-General Tedros reported that Russian health authorities stated no recent plague cases have been registered in the Irkutsk Oblast.
The information reported by the WHO from Russian authorities includes: "Epidemiological investigations were conducted, prevention and control measures were implemented, and identified contacts were medically observed and tested," and "no high-consequence pathogens were detected among the contacts, and medical observation of all identified contacts has been completed."
Meanwhile, the British tabloid daily newspaper Daily Mail claimed on the 6th that "local media outlets have reported another death in the Irkutsk region."
However, the Daily Mail did not specify which local media outlets made such reports.
Furthermore, according to the Daily Mail, authorities in Baikalsk, Irkutsk Oblast, posted a Telegram message on the 3rd stating, "There is unofficial information that a confirmed case of the plague has occurred in Shelekhov; please refrain from visiting Shelekhov and surrounding areas until the situation regarding this threat becomes clear," but deleted it two hours later.
The Daily Mail also reported that "Russian articles reporting on the plague have begun to disappear," noting that articles were deleted from Moscow's Channel 5, REN TV, and the national daily newspaper Kommersant.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the previous day that authorities are investigating the incident and that information will be provided as the investigation progresses.
He emphasized that people should not listen to various rumors and speculations, but rather trust official announcements from the authorities.
Previously, Russian authorities explained that the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the area where the incident occurred is stable and that preventive measures for contacts are entering the final stage.
According to local Russian media, about 200 people were identified as contacts of the deceased researcher, and they have undergone medical observation and testing.
(Photo: Distributed photo of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in 2019, Yonhap News)
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