Mystery death at Russian plague lab triggers sweeping precautions as US watches closely

Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital and placed scores of people under medical observation after a 28-year-old employee at a Siberian plague research institute died from a mysterious case of pneumonia, fueling fears — still unconfirmed — that she may have contracted pneumonic plague.

Darya Shipilova worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. Russian health authorities say extensive testing found no evidence that her illness was caused by pathogens linked to her work, but officials have yet to publicly identify what killed her.

The extraordinary precautions surrounding the case have fueled speculation inside and outside Russia. Reuters reported Oct. 5 that all known contacts had been traced and placed under medical supervision and that authorities said no new cases had been identified among employees of the institute.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the U.S. was "watching and monitoring it closely," adding, "I dont think its cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause just to keep an eye on it."

US MONITORING SUSPECTED FATAL PNEUMONIC PLAGUE CASE IN RUSSIA, STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAYS

Rubio said information released by Russia appeared to show "there was a worker at the lab that was infected" and concern that the illness could have spread internally. He noted that travel between Russia and the U.S. is limited but warned that "something like that gets out, it just quickly spreads."

The comments follow a State Department statement to Fox News on Oct. 4 that Washington was monitoring the case alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies. The official stressed that many details remained unconfirmed and urged Moscow to provide accurate information quickly.

Additional reporting provided Monday by East2West news agency said more than 60 employees remained confined inside the Irkutsk institute and nearly 200 people who had contact with Shipilova had been placed under observation. Those precise figures have not been officially confirmed. The agency also reported that neighboring countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, had increased border health precautions following the case.

The hospital in Shelekhov, just outside Irkutsk, where Shipilova was treated, has been placed under quarantine and temporarily stopped admitting or discharging patients, according to The Associated Press. Irkutsk Gov. Igor Kobzev described the case as a suspected "particularly dangerous infection."

Adding to the unusual response, Anna Popova, the head of Russias public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Irkutsk for an emergency meeting after Shipilovas death, Reuters reported. A nearby aluminum plant also ordered employees to wear masks as a precaution.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the public to rely on official information rather than "rumors or speculation."

Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday that Shipilova was diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and that testing detected "no microorganisms associated with the patients professional activities." The agency also said an investigation found no laboratory incident involving pathogenic microorganisms.