Jakarta, ThedailyID — The death of a laboratory worker in Irkutsk, Siberia, has sparked speculation over a possible plague infection. However, residents in the city say they are not overly concerned about the potential disease threat.
The worker, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, reportedly died on Friday, October 2. Several Russian media outlets reported that she died from pneumonia linked to a possible plague infection.
Those reports also fueled claims that hundreds of people had been placed under quarantine. However, Russian officials have rejected the reports and said post-mortem examinations found no evidence of plague in Shipilova’s body.
Russian authorities have also said they have not introduced special measures in the city.
“If it were serious, I think they would have closed everything by now,” an Irkutsk resident told AFP.
The resident added that people in the city did not appear particularly concerned about the situation.
Another resident said she had asked her parents to take basic precautions, such as washing their hands. However, she said the situation did not currently appear to pose a serious threat.
AFP photos showed the laboratory where Shipilova worked looking quiet. The building also showed no visible signs of being sealed off.
Meanwhile, Russian outlet People of Baikal reported that Shipilova may have become infected after a test tube broke. Other reports also suggested a possible connection between her death and an accident at the laboratory.
Moscow has rejected those reports. Officials have so far described her cause of death only as “pneumonia of unknown origin.”
Some Irkutsk residents also questioned reports linking her death to plague. One resident told AFP that she did not believe the woman had died from plague.
The Irkutsk regional governor also said health authorities had found no evidence that Shipilova died from plague.
Amid the speculation, Washington reportedly offered assistance to Irkutsk. However, Moscow maintained that Russia could handle the situation on its own.
“I read today that Trump wants to help the city of Irkutsk,” one resident said. “We can handle it ourselves.”
