Plague in Siberia: Lab worker dies after test-tube accident; 200 contacts monitored
A laboratory technician in Siberia has died after a reported accident involving a test tube containing plague bacteria. Nearly 200 people who had contact with the worker are currently under medical observation as authorities investigate the incident.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing risks associated with handling dangerous pathogens in research facilities and the potential for public health crises stemming from laboratory accidents.
A broken test tube inside a laboratory is at the centre of a disturbing medical mystery in Siberia.A 28-year-old laboratory worker in Russia's Irkutsk region has died after reportedly being exposed to live plague bacteria, with local reports saying the exposure may have happened when a test tube broke while she was handling samples. Nearly 200 people who may have come into contact with her have since been placed under medical observation, DailyMail reported.Russian authorities have confirmed a plague death in the region, while reports identifying the woman, the laboratory accident and the infection as pneumonic plague have come from Russian media outlets.What happened inside the Siberian laboratory?The woman has been identified by Russian media as Daria Shipilova, a laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute.According to reports cited by The Moscow Times, she told medical staff that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting…
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