From euronews · Knarik Papoyan · · 1m
Russia denies plague death but quarantines 200
Russia says lab researcher died of pneumonia, not plague, but quarantined 200 contacts.
In brief
Russia says lab researcher died of pneumonia, not plague, but quarantined 200 contacts. Russia claims a Siberian lab researcher died of pneumonia, not plague, and quarantined 197 contacts without explanation. Originally reported by euronews.
Lab researcher dies in Siberia
Darya Shipilova, 28, a researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, died last Friday night.
Russia denies plague link
Rospotrebnadzor said biological samples found no plague microorganisms and she died of pneumonia of unknown aetiology.
Quarantine of 197 contacts
Between 189 and 197 of Shipilova's contacts were placed under quarantine without explanation.
Institute staff confined
More than 60 staff members of the anti-plague institute were confined inside the facility for several days.
Hospitals restricted access
Quarantine restrictions were imposed on hospitals in Irkutsk, including a maternity ward, without explanation.
Conflicting statements
The head of Buryatia initially said Shipilova died of plague, then amended to possibly plague.
The takeaway
Russia claims a Siberian lab researcher died of pneumonia, not plague, and quarantined 197 contacts without explanation.
