# Russian Plague Lab Funding Controversy

> RFK Jr's Health group allegedly funds Russian plague lab research with $800k.
- Title: Russian Plague Lab Funding Controversy · Dailymail | Shortify
- Summary: RFK Jr's Health group allegedly funds Russian plague lab research with $800k. US Health and Human Services received $800k from RFK Jr's group for research…
- Keywords: rfk jr, health and human services, irrkutsk anti-plague research institute, plague outbreak, us taxpayer money, research funding, siberia, news, entertainment, Russian, Plague, Lab
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16191937/RFK-Russian-plague-lab-funding-NIH-HHS.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-10-08T05:27:15+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: rfk jr, health and human services, irrkutsk anti-plague research institute, plague outbreak, us taxpayer money, research funding, siberia, news, entertainment
## Funding Allegation
Robert F Kennedy Jr allegedly allowed over $800,00:00 in taxpayer money to go to a research project with ties to the Siberian lab behind the possible Russian plague outbreak.
## Plague Lab Incident
Darya Shipilova, 28, a lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia died of suspected plague on October 2.
## Funding Details
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign received $389,943 from NIH in July 2025 and another $389,746 in September 2026 for research on social behavior using Siberian foxes.
## Funding Controversy
White Coat Waste reported that Kennedy shouldn't have been funding the research given a 2022 directive from President Biden to stop funding animal testing in Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine.
## Plague Background
Pneumonic plague is among the most severe forms of the disease that leaves patients bedridden within 24 hours after it attacks the lungs, causing them to fill with fluid.
## Global Impact
Globally, there are about 1,000 to 2,000 plague cases every year, with many in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
## US Cases
In the US, the CDC says about seven cases of the plague are recorded every year, mostly in northern New Mexico and Arizona.
## WHO Response
A top official with the World Health Organization said they don't know what caused Darya Shipilova's death and urged Russia to provide more information.
## Border Controls
Countries on the border of Russia, including Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are tightening border health controls over the situation.
## Funding Timeline
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign conducted a partnership with Russia's state-run Institute of Cytology and Genetics in 2025 and 2026.
## Plague Risk
The plague is endemic to Siberia, the location of the first known prehistoric human outbreak, as the bacterium that causes it is present among small wild mammals in its vast wilderness.
## Animal Testing
The website claimed that Kennedy shouldn't have been funding the research at all given a 2022 directive from President Biden to stop funding animal testing in Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine.
## Quarantine Measures
Hundreds of people Darya Shipilova came into contact with and five hospitals, including a maternity unit, were placed into quarantine after her death.
## Plague Transmission
The plague can spread from person-to-person if an infected person coughs or sneezes, expelling tiny droplets containing the bacteria, which can then be breathed in by another person.
## Global Response
Russia has claimed Darya Shipilova died from an 'unidentified pneumonia,' and noted that there has been evidence her colleagues had COVID and the common cold.
## Next Steps
The WHO urges Russia to provide more information about the case that prompted global concerns about suspected pneumonic plague.
## Key takeaway

US Health and Human Services received $800k from RFK Jr's group for research tied to a Russian plague lab.