Russian researcher who studied plague died of mysterious illness: What to know

What you should know about the Russian “plague lab”

This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. The death of a 28-year-old lab tech halfway around the world is not typically the sort of thing the White House monitors. But when that tech dies of severe pneumonia…while working at a Siberian […]

Oct 5, 2026

Russian researcher feared to have died of plague after lab accident

The 28-year-old lab worker was taken to hospital with symptoms of severe pneumonia and placed on a ventilator before dying two days later.

Oct 5, 2026

Russian researcher who studied plague died of mysterious illness: What to know

A 28-year-old lab technician in Russia’s far east working on research at the country’s Anti-Plague Institute died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” on Thursday, triggering a public health lockdown involving the quarantining of 200 other people. Daria Shipilova, 28, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator on Tuesday, then died two days later. The research […]

Oct 5, 2026