Russian authorities have quarantined hospital facilities and begun examining contacts of a laboratory worker who died from an unidentified illness, amid unconfirmed reports that she contracted pneumonic plague while working at an institute specializing in dangerous infections.
Nearly 200 people are reportedly under medical observation following the death of the 28-year-old technician at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia in Shelekhov. That estimate comes from unofficial accounts, including independent regional outlet Liudi Baikala, and does not establish that those being monitored are infected.
Russia's infectious-disease agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said the woman had pneumonia of unknown origin and disputed suggestions that her illness had been linked to laboratory work. "No micro-organisms associated with the employee's professional duties were detected in samples taken from the patient," the agency said.
The uncertainty has drawn U.S. attention. A State Department spokesperson told CNN on Sunday that officials were aware of a possible death from pneumonic plague and were coordinating with American health authorities.
"We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners," the spokesperson said. "Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly."
Despite Rospotrebnadzor's description of the regional epidemiological situation as stable, its chief, Anna Yuryevna Popova, traveled to Irkutsk on Friday. Regional Gov. Igor Kobzev said she attended an extraordinary meeting of the anti-epidemic commission concerning a suspected particularly dangerous infection.
Local officials have disclosed several precautions. Maxim Modin, mayor of the Shelekhovsky district, said the hospital's inpatient facility was under quarantine and that several departments had suspended admissions and discharges. Local media reported restrictions at other hospitals.
Modin said the worker's recent contacts were undergoing examinations and testing. He also reported no infectious-disease cases among institute employees over the preceding 10 days, an important distinction from reports suggesting a wider outbreak had already been established.
Accounts of how the woman might have become ill remain unresolved. Unofficial reports alleged exposure after a test tube containing a pathogen broke and linked her illness to travel in neighboring Buryatia; authorities have not confirmed that sequence.
Buryatia's leader, Alexei Tsydenov, said the employee died "possibly from the plague," but also stated that "there are no plague outbreaks" in his republic. His comments conflict with reports describing an outbreak there.
The institute declined to comment when contacted by CNN on Monday. Its website describes a facility employing about 95 researchers and responsible for monitoring and preventing high-risk infections across Siberia and Russia's Far East.
Pneumonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes symptoms including fever, weakness and rapidly developing pneumonia; prompt antibiotic treatment is critical to preventing serious illness or death.
