Lab assistant dies after exposure in Irkutsk; 189 hospitalised on suspicion of plague
A broken vial at a research institute led to exposure; 189 contacts admitted and 12 sent to a plague institute for observation.
Nearly 200 people have been hospitalised in Russia's Irkutsk region on suspicion of plague after a young laboratory assistant died following an accidental exposure to pathogenic material, an unnamed source familiar with the case said.
Regional health officials identified and admitted 189 people for evaluation after they had contact with the woman, who reportedly fell ill and died the day before. The suspected cases are concentrated in facilities near the border with Mongolia.
Incident at the laboratory
The woman, identified by authorities as Darija Sh., worked collecting samples at a local institute where, according to medical staff, a tube containing pathogenic material broke and directly exposed her to the bacterium.
Days after the accident she developed severe lung inflammation, was urgently hospitalised in Shelekhov, placed on a ventilator and later died. The death was confirmed by regional leader Alexey Tsydenov of neighbouring Buryatia.
Of those admitted, 12 people were transferred to a dedicated institute for plague control for observation. Some of the patients show symptoms consistent with the disease, but laboratory confirmation of infection has not yet been reported.
Health authorities say investigations and testing are ongoing to determine the exact cause and scope of the exposure and to provide appropriate treatment and containment measures.
Photo: press material from the event
