Moscow: Two people who came into contact with a 28-year-old researcher who died after developing severe pneumonia in Russia’s Irkutsk region have tested positive for COVID-19, while two others have tested positive for rhinovirus, according to Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.
The findings come amid concern over the possible exposure of the researcher, Darya Shipilova, to Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, while working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute.
However, Russian authorities have not confirmed that Shipilova died from plague. Rospotrebnadzor has said the cause of her death was pneumonia of unknown aetiology and that tests did not identify microorganisms connected with her professional activity.
The development has nevertheless triggered extensive contact tracing and precautionary measures in the Siberian region, with nearly 200 people reportedly identified as contacts and placed under observation or isolation.
COVID-19 and rhinovirus detected among contacts
Rospotrebnadzor said laboratory testing of people who had contact with Shipilova identified two COVID-19 infections and two rhinovirus infections.
The agency said no other infectious disease pathogens were detected among the contacts tested.
The finding is significant because the presence of these common respiratory viruses provides possible explanations for some respiratory symptoms among people being monitored, but it does not establish what caused Shipilova’s illness.
The Russian authorities have continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death while monitoring the people who may have been exposed to her.
The World Health Organization has also said that no confirmed plague cases have been reported in Irkutsk. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said Russian authorities had reported that contacts had been identified and tested, with the organisation assessing the risk to the wider public as low based on the information available.
Who was Darya Shipilova?
Shipilova was a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia.
She was reportedly admitted to hospital on September 29 after developing severe pneumonia symptoms. She subsequently died in a hospital in Shelekhov on October 2, according to multiple reports.
Reports circulating in Russian media have suggested that Shipilova may have accidentally broken a test tube containing live plague bacteria while collecting samples at the institute.
That account, however, has not been confirmed by Russia’s federal health authorities.
Rospotrebnadzor said its biosafety commission had not identified an emergency involving pathogenic microorganisms at the institute and that testing of biological material from Shipilova did not find microorganisms linked to her professional activity.
The circumstances surrounding her illness therefore remain unclear.
Plague cause of death remains unconfirmed
The possibility of pneumonic plague has received international attention because of the nature of Shipilova’s work and reports of a possible laboratory accident.
Pneumonic plague is a form of plague caused by Yersinia pestis that affects the lungs. Unlike bubonic plague, which is commonly associated with infected flea bites, pneumonic plague can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets.
The disease can become severe rapidly if untreated, but antibiotics are effective when administered promptly.
Despite the concerns surrounding the Irkutsk case, there is currently no confirmed evidence that a plague outbreak has occurred.
Rospotrebnadzor has specifically stated that Shipilova’s cause of death was pneumonia of unknown aetiology rather than confirming plague. Russian authorities have also urged the public to rely on official information rather than speculation surrounding the case.
Nearly 200 contacts placed under observation
Russian authorities moved quickly to identify people who had been in contact with Shipilova.
Reports have put the number of identified contacts at around 197, with many placed under medical observation or isolation as a precaution.
More than 60 employees of the anti-plague institute were reportedly isolated inside the facility, while several hospitals in the region also faced restrictions.
The measures have attracted attention because they were imposed despite authorities saying they had not detected plague or another dangerous pathogen linked to Shipilova’s work.
Rospotrebnadzor has maintained that the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region remains stable.
COVID-19, rhinovirus findings do not confirm plague
The discovery of COVID-19 and rhinovirus among Shipilova’s contacts is important in interpreting the situation but does not resolve the question surrounding her death.
COVID-19 can cause respiratory symptoms ranging from mild illness to severe pneumonia, while rhinoviruses are among the common causes of respiratory infections.
Rospotrebnadzor’s statement that no other infectious pathogens were found among the contacts means the tests have so far not identified another dangerous infectious disease spreading among the group.
The agency has continued monitoring those who were exposed, with health officials looking for symptoms and conducting laboratory testing where necessary.
WHO says wider public risk is low
The World Health Organization has been monitoring the situation in cooperation with Russian authorities.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said Russia had informed the organisation that there were no confirmed plague cases in Irkutsk.
WHO has assessed the risk to the general public as low based on the information available so far. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has similarly said there are no reports of secondary cases or evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission that would indicate wider spread.
The assessment could change if further testing establishes that Shipilova had pneumonic plague or if additional cases are identified.
For now, international health agencies are monitoring developments rather than describing the situation as a confirmed plague outbreak.
Why the case has raised concern
The case has attracted unusual attention because Shipilova worked at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases and because reports have alleged that a laboratory accident may have preceded her illness.
The reports of a broken test tube containing plague bacteria remain unverified.
There have also been conflicting accounts about the circumstances in which Shipilova may have been exposed.
Russian officials have therefore urged people to focus on confirmed information while investigations continue.
The precautionary measures demonstrate the seriousness with which authorities are treating the possibility of a dangerous infection, even though laboratory testing has not confirmed plague.
Trump offers US assistance
US President Donald Trump has also commented on the situation, saying the developments were a major concern for Russia and that the United States would do what it could to help.
The comments came as Washington continued to monitor reports surrounding the possible pneumonic plague case.
The US response has added an international dimension to an incident that remains centred on the Siberian region of Irkutsk.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also called for vigilance and transparency as authorities investigate the circumstances of Shipilova’s death.
What happens next?
The key question remains what caused Shipilova’s severe pneumonia and subsequent death.
A confirmed diagnosis of plague would significantly change the understanding of the incident, particularly given her work at an anti-plague research institute.
Authorities will also continue monitoring the people who had contact with her for signs of illness and conducting laboratory tests.
So far, the detection of two COVID-19 cases and two rhinovirus infections among contacts has not been accompanied by confirmed plague infections.
The WHO and European health authorities have consequently maintained that the wider public risk is currently low, while continuing to monitor the situation.
For now, the Irkutsk incident remains a case of pneumonia of unknown cause involving a laboratory worker, with suspected plague exposure still unconfirmed. Further laboratory findings and official investigations will determine whether the reported plague link can be established.