A 28-year-old female laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Russia's Irkutsk region has died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology, sparking local concerns of a highly dangerous infectious disease.
Following her death, local media and Telegram channels on Friday claimed that the woman had died of plague after a suspected laboratory accident in Shelekhov. These reports also pointed to the implementation of quarantines at several Irkutsk hospitals, while a mask mandate was reportedly introduced at the Irkutsk Aluminum Smelter in Shelekhov.
In response to the growing concern, the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, known as Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Sunday that expanded testing on samples taken from the deceased worker showed no presence of microorganisms linked to her professional duties. The agency assured the public that the epidemiological situation in both Irkutsk and the nearby city of Shelekhov remains stable.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev stated that an emergency regional sanitary commission was convened to address the situation. According to Kobzev, all individuals identified as contacts of the deceased woman have been placed under medical observation. He confirmed that none of the monitored contacts have shown any symptoms, and all laboratory tests have returned negative results. The initial death was first reported by the state-run news agency Tass, citing Russian authorities.
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