Russian Researcher Dies Of Plague, Hundreds Quarantined, 5 Hospitals Shut

At least five hospitals have been shut and hundreds quarantined after a 28-year-old laboratory technician reportedly died of plague in the remote Siberian region of Irkutsk.The incident occurred at the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov and the technician, identified as Darya Shipilova, reportedly contracted pneumonic plague, which is highly infectious and can be fatal if not treated early, from a broken test tube.She told medical staff that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples for testing, according to local media reports.She was reportedly hospitalised on September 29 with symptoms of severe pneumonia in Shelekhov, and was placed on a ventilator before she died on October 1.Over 200 people with whom she may have had contact have now been put under quarantine.Public events have also been reportedly cancelled in Irkutsk."Dangerous Infection"Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev had initially said that a suspected case of a "particularly…