WHO admits it cannot assess plague risk as Russia refuses to explain second pneumonia case at Irkutsk lab
From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026 · last updated 8 October 2026.
Darya Shipilova, 28, whose death on October 2 after reportedly breaking a test tube of pneumonic plague bacteria sparked fears of an outbreak, was treated by doctors as a severe Covid case until it was too late for…Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind pneumonic plague, as fears grow that the strain involved in the Irkutsk outbreak may be antibiotic-resistant, according to a former Trump arms control envoy.
The World Health Organisation has warned it lacks the "full picture" from Moscow after a second employee at Russia's Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute reportedly developed pneumonia of undetermined cause, following the death of lab worker Darya Shipilova, 28, on 2 October. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "timely, complete and transparent information sharing" from Russian authorities is essential, but Moscow has denied any plague case was registered. The Kremlin's spokesperson declined to answer questions about the second reported case.
Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna warned his country could shut its Russian border "within hours if there is need for that."
Russia imposed sweeping quarantine at the Irkutsk lab — locking staff inside for three days, sleeping on floors — while publicly insisting the situation is stable.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also pressed Russian authorities for transparency, warning that silence threatens global health security.
