Home / Health / Russia Hospital Shuts Amid Dangerous Infection Fears
Russia Hospital Shuts Amid Dangerous Infection Fears
3 Oct
Summary
- One hospital inpatient department closed due to a suspected dangerous infection.
- Patient potentially contracted illness after returning from Thailand.
- Contact tracing and medical observation are actively underway.
The inpatient department at a district hospital in Shelekhov, located in Russia's Irkutsk region, was closed on October 1, 2026, due to a suspected dangerous infection. The closure was confirmed by district mayor Maxim Modin the following day, though the outpatient clinic continues to operate. Initial reports from various media outlets indicated that a 28-year-old patient, Darya Shipilova, may have died from pneumonic plague after a trip to Thailand. An alternative account suggests she was a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute who contracted the pathogen through an accident.
Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed a regional government meeting to address information about a suspected dangerous infection in a local resident, without specifying the exact pathogen. Russia's chief sanitary officer, Anna Popova, attended this meeting. Rospotrebnadzor, the public health watchdog, is implementing comprehensive epidemic-control measures, including placing close contacts under medical observation. Nearly 200 individuals reportedly had contact with the patient, with 189 hospitalized for observation, none showing illness signs as of the reports.
Later, the leader of Buryatia, Alexey Tsydenov, stated that the deceased woman in the neighboring Irkutsk region may have died of plague, clarifying she had not visited Buryatia and no outbreaks were occurring there. Globally, between 2010 and 2015, there were 3,248 plague cases and 584 deaths. Russia last recorded a case in 2016. A plague vaccine is available and administered to those in high-risk areas or working with the pathogen.
