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Plague Lab Worker Death Triggers Online Rumors in Russia
By Drooid · · How we work
Lab Worker Death Triggers Plague Rumors
In late September, a laboratory employee at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute died of severe pneumonia after being hospitalized in Shelekhov on September 29 with respiratory symptoms. The incident quickly became the focus of social-media speculation, with a user on X posting that a technician had broken a flask containing the plague virus on September 25, became infected, and died by October 2, allegedly infecting “several hundred people.” The post, accompanied by a photo of the presumed worker, amassed hundreds of thousands of views.
Institutional Context and Safety Oversight
The Irkutsk institute studies highly pathogenic microorganisms, including *Yersinia pestis*, the bacterium that causes plague, and is reported to handle agents classified in Russia’s highest pathogenicity groups. International biosafety classifications (BSL-4 for the most hazardous agents) are referenced, but DW was unable to confirm the institute’s formal biosafety level. High-containment labs often restrict or eliminate glassware to reduce breakage risk, a point cited by some social-media users attempting to debunk the broken-flask claim.
Official Statements & Responses
The state news agency TASS, citing Rospotrebnadzor, added that laboratory tests on the deceased employee detected no microorganisms linked to her professional duties. The World Health Organization updated its plague fact sheet on September 29—the same day the worker was hospitalized—but the update was part of a routine publication cycle and not directly tied to the Russian case.
Social Media Misinformation and Misleading Content
Beyond the broken-flask narrative, users circulated an old video claiming the plague was spreading across Russia. A reverse-image search showed the footage was first posted on August 31, depicting Kabardino-Balkaria, a region over 6,000 km from Irkutsk, and unrelated to the current incident. The video, originally shared to report a local squirrel-borne plague detection, has been viewed millions of times on Instagram and Telegram, further amplifying unfounded fears.
Overall, investigations have found no confirmed laboratory leak or outbreak, while online claims continue to conflate unrelated WHO updates and outdated media with the Irkutsk worker’s death.