Washington, DC: The White House is monitoring reports of a suspected plague case in Russia following the death of a 28-year-old woman who worked at an anti-plague research institute in the Irkutsk region, according to an Axios report.
The administration is assessing developments and potential response options, although Russian health authorities have not confirmed that the woman had plague.
The woman, identified as Daria Shipilova, reportedly died Oct. 2 after developing severe pneumonia. Russian media reports said she accidentally broke a test tube containing Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, while working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute on Sept. 25.
However, Russia’s public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, has described her illness as “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and said testing did not detect microorganisms associated with her professional activities.
The agency has maintained that the epidemiological situation in the region remains stable.
As a precaution, about 200 people who may have had contact with Shipilova were reportedly placed under medical observation, while several medical facilities were subjected to quarantine measures.
Additional preventive measures, including mask requirements at a local aluminum plant, were also reportedly introduced.
Former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator and adviser Dr. Ashish K. Jha has also commented on the situation. Brown University records confirm that Jha served as the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator in 2022-23.
Many of you have been tracking the Irkutsk lab situation over the last few days.
I’ve been gathering facts and trying to understand what is happening before weighing in.
Now that I have, I have to say — I’m concerned
🧵
— Ashish K. Jha (@ashishkjha) October 5, 2026
What Is Plague And How Can It Be Prevented?
Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis and can be life-threatening, but it is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed and treated promptly.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that treatment should begin as soon as plague is suspected rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation.
Pneumonic plague, the form reportedly suspected in the Russian case, can spread through respiratory droplets during close and sustained contact with an infected person.
People can reduce their risk by avoiding close contact with suspected patients, following appropriate respiratory precautions, avoiding sick or dead animals, preventing flea exposure and controlling rodent populations.
People who have had known close exposure to a suspected or confirmed case may require medical monitoring and, depending on the circumstances, preventive antibiotic treatment.
For now, the reported Russian case remains unconfirmed, and there is no official confirmation of a plague outbreak.
