The Russian government has instituted a quarantine in response to a lab worker at a research facility dying from an unknown illness.
The Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia lab worker, a 28-year-old woman whom some have identified as Darya Shipilova, died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of “unknown” origin, according to CNN.
The institute lies in the town of Shelekhov, whose mayor, Maxim Modin, reportedly said that the authorities have begun implementing a “comprehensive set of anti-epidemic measures.”
The measures included placing the hospital where the lab worker was being treated under quarantine, terminating the discharging and admitting of patients, and closing other hospitals in the region.
According to the Independent, Shipilova was exposed to the unidentified bacteria when she accidentally broke a test tube while collecting samples.
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“She was hospitalised on 29 September with severe pneumonia of ‘unknown origin’ and placed on a ventilator, but died shortly after,” the outlet reported.
Citing the independent Russian outlet Lyudi Baikal, the Independent also confirmed that at least 197 people were suspected of having had direct or indirect contact with Shipilova prior to her death. All have since been placed under “medical isolation.”
Meanwhile, the region’s governor, Igor Kobzev, has urged locals to remain calm.
“All identified contact persons have been placed under medical observation,” he wrote on the Telegram app, according to The Moscow Times. “As of today, the contacts show no signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative.”
Some officials inside Russia have cast doubt on the official narrative that Shipilova contracted this unknown pneumonia from breaking a test tube.
“It’s laughable. Someone working at the Anti-Plague Institute in Irkutsk wears a protective anti-plague suit,” senior Russian epidemiologist Mikhail Favorov told The Moscow Times, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“If you break a test tube, the likelihood of infection is actually very low,” he added. “In short, it doesn’t matter to the general public — they’ll believe the ‘broken test tube’ story. It’s absolutely hair-raising. We will not be told what really happened.”
A White House official confirmed to Axios on Sunday that the administration “is aware” of the situation, “monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options.”
“We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners,” a State Department representative added in a separate statement to CNN.
“Many details have not been confirmed,” they added. “We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.”
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal and is reposted with permission.
