Laboratory technician Darya Shipilova, 28, was found dead in the Irkutsk region after being diagnosed with pneumonia. Her sudden death sparked speculation that she might have contracted pneumonic plague, a disease that still exists today.

Russian authorities say there is currently no evidence that the illness was linked to any pathogen she handled at the Irkutsk Anti‑Plague Research Institute.

The Irkutsk Anti‑Plague Research Institute, founded in 1934, focuses on plague control, vaccine development and epidemic prevention. Pneumonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and spreads through airborne droplets.

Because pneumonic plague can move from person to person via inhaled droplets, health officials treat any suspected case as a potential emergency.

Dr. Malick Gibani, a clinical associate professor at Imperial College London, stresses that a rapid response—including contact tracing and prompt antibiotic treatment—is essential to stop any possible spread.

Even without a confirmed outbreak, neighboring states such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have issued alerts or set up quarantine measures at their borders.

The episode shows that old diseases like plague can reappear and that swift public‑health actions remain crucial, even in a world still recovering from COVID‑19.