Story summary
In September 2023, Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia, died of pneumonic plague after breaking a test tube and contracting the disease. Around 200 people who had contact with her were put into quarantine to prevent an outbreak. The incident prompted Russian officials like Governor Igor Kobzev to enforce strict measures, including mask mandates and hospital quarantines. Russia's Chief State Sanitary Doctor, Anna Popova, rushed to Siberia to manage the situation. There are concerns that the outbreak might be covered up by the government, similar to the initial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. The U.S. State Department is monitoring the situation closely and has urged Russia to share accurate information promptly. Despite fears of a widespread outbreak, health officials emphasize that pneumonic plague can be treated with common antibiotics if caught early. Overall, the broader situation remains stable according to Rospotrebnadzor, though concerns about transparency persist.
Written for “Pneumonic Plague Outbreak Siberia” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 68 other(s) covering the same event.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon" as his administration closely tracks reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Siberia that have prompted a U.S. health alert and heightened health precautions across several countries bordering Russia.
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that → say → Russia
Trump revealed the planned call while taking questions from reporters Tuesday.
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Trump → reveal → reporters
Asked whether he had spoken with Putin about the situation, Trump said he already had a call scheduled.
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call → ask → situation
"I have a call scheduled, yup," Trump said.
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Trump → have → ?
Asked when the call would take place, the president responded, "Very soon."
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president → ask → place
Trump said the administration was in "very deep discussions" when asked what U.S. intelligence agencies were saying about the reports.
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agencies → say → reports
The president's comments came as the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert Tuesday saying it was aware of press reports from Russia's Irkutsk region of "suspected pneumonic plague resulting in the death of an individual," along with associated quarantine measures and hospital closures.
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it → come → measures
"We continue to track the situation closely," the embassy said.
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embassy → continue → situation
A State Department spokesman told Fox News Digital that the department, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other interagency partners, is "closely monitoring the fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague" in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast.
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department → tell → Oblast
"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," the spokesman said.
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spokesman → have → Americans
The spokesman cautioned that "many details remain unconfirmed" and called on Moscow to provide greater clarity.
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details → caution → clarity
"We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly," the spokesman said.
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spokesman → encourage → information
The alert advised Americans in the area to follow local health guidance, avoid affected medical facilities and seek prompt medical care if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms.
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they → advise → fever
Those who have traveled to an area experiencing an outbreak were advised to monitor their health for 14 days.
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who → travel → days
The State Department's existing Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia remains unchanged.
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advisory → exist → Russia
The embassy reiterated that Americans currently in Russia should depart and warned that the U.S. government's ability to assist citizens there is limited, particularly outside Moscow.
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ability → reiterate → Moscow
Several countries bordering Russia are also implementing new health precautions in response to the reports.
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countries → border → reports
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are moving to implement what their governments have described as "enhanced health and sanitary measures" in response to reports of pneumonic plague in Siberia.
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governments → move → Siberia
A 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week from what Russian authorities described as pneumonia of undetermined origin.
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authorities → die → origin
Russia has not said the woman died of plague and said testing found no microorganisms in her body linked to her work.
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testing → say → work
Russian officials told the WHO that her contacts tested negative for dangerous infectious pathogens.
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contacts → tell → pathogens
The WHO has assessed the risk to the general population as low.
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WHO → assess → population
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also said it is closely monitoring the reports and working across the U.S. government as additional information becomes available.
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information → say → government
The agency said there is currently no indication of a broader threat to the United States.
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agency → say → States
Pneumonic plague is a serious bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis.
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plague → cause → pestis
It can spread between people through respiratory droplets during close contact and can progress rapidly if untreated.
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It → spread → contact
The disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, particularly when identified and treated early.
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disease → treat → antibiotics
For now, U.S. officials are continuing to seek additional information about what occurred in Irkutsk and whether the incident poses any wider threat.
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incident → continue → threat
The president suggested his administration could have more to say as soon as Wednesday.
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administration → suggest → Wednesday
"We'll be able to report about it probably tomorrow," Trump said.
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Trump → report → it
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
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House → respond → comment
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