Russia says it has finished tracing the contacts of the scientist who died in an anti-plague laboratory

MOSCOW.– Russia reported on Thursday that it had completed health monitoring of all people who had contact with a 28-year-old lab worker who died at a plague research institute in Siberia, and noted that nearly 5,000 tests had not detected any dangerous pathogens. The governor of Irkutsk, Igor Kobzev, said all contacts had completed medical monitoring and that no infectious disease had been detected. He stated that the woman, Darya Shipilova, died on October 2 of "community-acquired pneumonia." "Amid intense media scrutiny, specialists thoroughly investigated the situation. It was a test, but we passed it," said Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev. A pedestrian stands in front of the building of the Siberia and Far East Anti-Plague Research Institute in Irkutsk, Russia. AP Russian authorities have not confirmed that Shipilova died of plague. They have pointed out that she was vaccinated and had immunity against the dangerous infections handled at the institute, and that no microorganisms related to her work were found in her body. The death, however, triggered quarantine measures and concern in Shelekhov, a city of fewer than 50,000 inhabitants in the Irkutsk region. Oksana, a 35-year-old pregnant woman who was under observation for four days at the local hospital, said patients were prevented from entering or leaving after the death. "I no longer know who to believe or who to listen to," confesses Oksana, who was under observation in the maternity ward when a woman died last week in Siberia from a suspected case of plague. "Everything was fine until we were told that a woman had died. And they banned any entry or exit," recounts the 35-year-old pregnant woman. "I read that it was some kind of undetermined pneumonia or Covid, something like that. To be honest, I don't believe anything anymore," says Oksana, who prefers not to give her last name. "There is so much information that I no longer know who to believe or who to listen to." Other residents described the panic of the first days, when official information was scarce. Alexandra Iskalova, a 22-year-old worker at a medical center, said rumors spread quickly. "During the first days, people were in total panic because there was no official statement," Iskalova recounts. A woman walks in front of the anti-plague institute in the city of Irkutsk on October 7, 2026. TATYANA MAKEYEVA - AFP By Wednesday, concern in Shelekhov appeared to have calmed, with few people wearing masks. However, doubts persisted about the origin of the illness. "It's scary," declared Alina, 22 years old. "My brother is in elementary school. Wearing a mask is already mandatory, they have to wear it everywhere. They even have the right not to attend class if they are really worried," she summarized. The case has drawn the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO), which has asked Russia for more information about the laboratory tests carried out and the pathogens investigated. On Wednesday, a WHO official said the organization wanted more information from Russia about what laboratory tests had been performed, what pathogens had been evaluated, and "if this person did not die of plague, then how did they die?" Russia says it has provided the WHO with all the information required according to established procedures. Authorities have also denied reports of an epidemic and have said the sanitary-epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and Shelekhov is stable. In this undated archive photograph, distributed by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, specialists work in a laboratory as part of anti-epidemic measures during the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk. HANDOUT - Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute "All preventive measures have been applied in the region," said Kobzev, citing information from the Russian sanitary control agency Rospotrebnadzor. "The sanitary-epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and Shelekhov is stable," he added, referring to the locality where, it was reported, the woman died. For the residents of Shelekhov, the uncertainty was compounded by the lack of clear information during the first days of the incident. Iskalova recounted that her mother called her alarmed by rumors that 10 people had already died, although there was no official confirmation. The rumors even included unusual versions about the supposed origin of the illness. Iskalova recalled having read that it was a disease attributed to bears, an unfounded version that circulated amid the confusion. The Kremlin asked the population to trust the authorities and criticized the spread of what it called false information. The Russian health agency stated there was no "epidemic risk" after nearly 5,000 tests failed to detect dangerous pathogens. The episode also provoked a reaction from US President Donald Trump, who offered to help Russia. Some residents of Shelekhov received the proposal with skepticism and questioned the leader's intentions. AFP