The woman died last week in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk. According to Governor Igor Kobzev, she had been “infected with a particularly dangerous infection,” writes Meduza, a Russian-in-exile.
Since it emerged that the woman worked at Irkutsk’s anti-plague institute - and several hospitals in the city were subsequently quarantined - concerns about a plague outbreak have increased. Residents are demanding an explanation and buying antibiotics, reports local newspaper Baikalfolket. Some are wearing face masks and gloves in public places.
According to The Moscow Times, nearly 200 people who have been in contact with the woman have been placed under surveillance.
Russia’s federal health and consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, maintains that “the situation is stable.”
