A former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised questions about the suspected plague infection linked to a laboratory worker in Russia, suggesting the response could warrant further investigation.
Dr Robert Redfield, who led the CDC during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, said the measures reportedly taken by Russian authorities appeared unusual for a typical case of pneumonic plague.
Speaking to NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Redfield said his concern extended beyond the reported infection itself to the scale of the response.
Russian Authorities Reportedly Take Extensive Precautions
According to reports, more than 200 people who may have come into contact with the infected woman were placed under observation or quarantine.
Five hospitals in the Irkutsk region were also reportedly closed, including a maternity facility.
Redfield said the level of intervention appeared inconsistent with what he would normally expect from a case involving naturally occurring pneumonic plague, while acknowledging that the circumstances surrounding the case remain unclear.
Redfield Raises the Possibility of a Manipulated Strain
Redfield questioned whether the infection could have involved a strain of Yersinia pestis that had been altered in a laboratory.
He argued that a laboratory worker exposed to an ordinary, naturally occurring strain would typically be expected to receive antibiotics quickly under established safety protocols.
According to Redfield, if the bacteria had been modified to resist commonly used antibiotics, that could potentially help explain why treatment might not have been effective.
However, there is currently no evidence confirming that the suspected infection involved a manipulated or antibiotic-resistant strain.
Lab Worker’s Death Remains Under Investigation
The case centres on 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia.
Shipilova was reportedly hospitalized on September 29 after developing serious symptoms and was initially placed on a ventilator after doctors suspected severe Covid-19.
She died on October 2.
Russian officials have described the illness as an unidentified form of pneumonia and have also reported evidence that some of her colleagues had Covid-19 or the common cold.
Conflicting Accounts Over Possible Exposure
Reports have offered different explanations for how Shipilova may have become ill.
Some local reports said she told colleagues that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live bacteria linked to pneumonic plague.
However, another account from the Russian Telegram channel Mash claimed that she became ill after returning from a work trip to Buryatia, a region neighbouring Irkutsk.
The conflicting accounts have not been resolved publicly, and it remains unclear whether a laboratory accident was responsible for her illness.
Questions Over Diagnosis and Treatment
Russian epidemiologist Mikhail Favorov told Echo FM that doctors could potentially have initially misidentified the illness because plague had reportedly not been seen in the region for at least a decade.
It is also unclear whether Shipilova received antibiotics specifically for plague and, if so, how quickly treatment was administered.
Plague can generally be treated with antibiotics when therapy begins early, making the timing of diagnosis and treatment an important factor in determining the outcome.
Trump Says Manipulated Strain Is Not Suspected
US President Donald Trump said he did not believe the suspected Russian case was caused by a manipulated strain.
Speaking after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump told reporters that officials did not think that was the case but said the matter would be investigated.
Trump also said Putin had assured him that the situation was under control, while noting that Russian authorities had not released extensive information publicly.
CDC Says Risk to Americans Is Extremely Low
Current CDC Director Erica Schwartz separately sought to reassure Americans about the potential threat.
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal health summit in Washington, she said she was very confident that the risk posed to the United States by the suspected outbreak was extremely low.
The assessment comes amid international attention over the case and measures reportedly being taken in and around Russia.
International Health Authorities Seek More Information
The reported case has also prompted interest from international health organisations.
The World Health Organization and other health bodies have called on Russia to provide additional information about the suspected infection and the circumstances surrounding Shipilova’s death.
Some countries bordering Russia have reportedly increased health screening and other controls for people entering their territories.
The US Embassy in Moscow has also reiterated Washington’s existing Level 4 travel advisory for Russia, citing security concerns and the risk of wrongful detention rather than the suspected plague case alone.
Soviet Research History Adds to Concerns
The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute operates within a wider scientific infrastructure dating back to the Soviet era.
Reports have linked Soviet-era research facilities to studies involving plague and other pathogens, including research that had potential military applications.
Dr Ken Alibek, a former senior researcher in the Soviet biological weapons programme who later defected to the United States, has previously said Soviet scientists worked on antibiotic-resistant versions of plague bacteria for potential weapons applications.
Those historical claims have contributed to the questions surrounding the current case, although they do not establish that the suspected infection involved a manipulated pathogen.
What Is Known About Pneumonic Plague?
Pneumonic plague is the most serious form of plague because it affects the lungs and can become fatal rapidly without treatment.
The disease is caused by Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium historically associated with the Black Death.
It can spread between people through respiratory droplets, although sustained close contact is generally required and person-to-person transmission is considered uncommon.
Plague can also spread through infected fleas and contact with infected animals or their carcasses.
Plague Remains Rare Worldwide
Around 1,000 to 2,000 plague cases are reported globally each year, although the exact number of deaths varies.
In Russia, plague has previously been reported in parts of the country’s Far East, where Yersinia pestis occurs naturally.
A human plague case was also confirmed in Mongolia’s Khovd province in July, with the country’s National Center for Zoonotic Diseases identifying numerous provinces as areas considered at risk for plague.
In the United States, the CDC records roughly seven plague cases annually, with most occurring in parts of New Mexico and Arizona where the bacterium circulates among small mammals.
No Evidence Yet of a Manipulated Pathogen
Despite the concerns raised by Redfield and the historical background of Soviet biological research, there is currently no confirmed evidence that Shipilova was infected with a laboratory-modified strain of plague.
The cause of her illness, the precise circumstances of her exposure and the reason for the extensive public-health response remain subjects of investigation.
Further information from Russian authorities and international health organisations is expected to be important in determining what caused the fatal illness and whether any wider public-health threat exists.
