Quarantine Decision in Russia on Suspicion of Plague After Laboratory Accident

Suspicion of the spread of plague bacteria following an accident in a laboratory in Russia led to a large-scale quarantine wave in the region. The death of 28-year-old researcher Darya Şipilova after accidentally breaking a tube containing plague bacteria in the laboratory environment is at the center of the incident.

Following the incident, Russian authorities rejected the plague claims, describing the cause of death as “pneumonia of unknown origin”, but practices in the field paint a different picture. While two hospitals and approximately 200 people in the region continue to be quarantined, the removal of previous warnings to the public increases suspicions.