this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2026

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Russian lab worker dies of suspected plague after ‘being exposed to virus by broken test tube’ (www.independent.co.uk)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

224 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Darya Shipilova is said to have been exposed to the pathogen while working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia

Hundreds of people have been placed into quarantine in Siberia after a laboratory worker died of suspected plague, according to reports.

Darya Shipilova, an employee at the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, was exposed to the bacteria after she accidentally broke a test tube containing the pathogen while she was collecting samples, the Kyiv Independent reported.

She was hospitalised on 29 September with severe pneumonia of "unknown origin” and placed on a ventilator, but died shortly after.

Independent Russian outlet Lyudi Baikal reported that several hospitals in the city of Irkutsk had closed for a three-week quarantine.

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[–] Allero@lemmy.today 48 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (6 children)

For all folks concerned of massive epidemic:

The people who contacted her after the incident are isolated, the hospital quarantined
Yes, there is a vaccine. People are not commonly vaccinated because plague is very rare nowadays, but they can be as needed.
It can be cured by antibiotics. Care needs to be prompt though, and that's what Daria very recklessly missed. Fatal mistake for someone who oopsied in a pathogen lab.

Also, to those concerned that this is a biological weapon lab:

This would be the most stupid and inefficient biological weapon. Again, we have the vaccine AND the cure.
Disease research institutes are a normal thing throughout the world. We need them to efficiently combat outbreaks should they ever reappear.

[–] khaleer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 hours ago

looking at how people react in regards of vaccines, masks, and medical misinformation, I think even a common cold can be a successful bio-weapon

[–] kungen@feddit.nu 5 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, people seem to think the plague is extinct? There are yearly cases of plague in nearby Mongolia for example. It's also not usually as easy to spread compared to viruses like influensa. It's still a scary thing to think about, but nothing for us to worry about really...

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

yersinia pestis is a zoonotic disease, it never went away. its only the plague flea+black rat that was the problem in medieval times, i think it was combination of stray dogs+cats that helped it. its still in wild rodent populations.

[–] Floon@lemmy.ml 7 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I am pinning my hopes on a random Lemmy commentor.

I hate this timeline.

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 7 points 12 hours ago

This random commentor happens to be a Russian microbiologist, so you're in pretty safe hands.

(No, I do not develop biological weapons, nor am I aware of any such facilities)

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 4 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

I mean unless they are somehow trying to develop an antibiotic and vaccine resistant strain of the plague? If it were the case then it is almost 100% a bioweapon research at best under the guise of bioweapon security. But I don't know if this person is a bioweapon researcher or a public health researcher.

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 5 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

my fear is dumber than that, people just wont wanna take the vaccine and antibiotic and there will be this weird disease loving faction that does great damage to the greater society.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 2 points 5 hours ago

Lol another twist on bioterrorism

[–] Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca 5 points 9 hours ago

Yes it is much cheaper and easier to convince people to not use vaccines and other proven medical interventions than it would be to create a novel virus. Look at the idiotic life threatening things people are willing to do to follow a TicToc trend or Insta. Not to mention all the idiocy they will follow due to AI. Those are the 'deadly viruses' people should be fearing.

[–] cardboardboxfort@lemmy.world 5 points 13 hours ago

I mean unless they are somehow trying to develop an antibiotic and vaccine resistant strain of the plague?

That would be unwise as you'd ideally want to have an antibiotic available for your own troops in a war. We also pretty much know about all of Russia's bioweapon work after the cold war ended, there's even an Anthrax island site they abandoned.

Fortunately bio weapon research is even more niche today than it was at the height of cold war tensions and all nations have cut back and destroyed big chunks of their stockpiles.

Also keep in mind that things like leprosy still occur in the USA (Florida is even seeing a small increase in cases) so it's not necessarily that uncommon or a cause for concern. Things like the plague, leprosy and even strep throat (known as scarlet fever back when it regularly killed kids and routinely caused deafness in survivors) and easier to cure/treat thanks to modern medicine. The hygienic practices we have these days also help keep these things from breaking out like they used to.

[–] tachikoma@lemmy.today 3 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

This would be the most stupid and inefficient biological weapon. Again, we have the vaccine AND the cure.

Erm, Actually. It's obvious they're still researching the Suppression and Sympto-Statis gene tech so they can sneak the plague into other countries without panic.

You casuals wouldn't understand. 😏 /s

[–] bold_atlas@lemmy.world 0 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Maybe they're making a potent cross-species variant by weaponising good ol' Russian boreal swamp debauchery.