Fear of plague sparks panic buying and quarantines in Russia's Irkutsk region

The death of laboratory employee Darja Shipilova, who worked at a plague research institute in Sjelechov, triggered alarm over a potential plague outbreak. Residents of the Irkutsk region responded by hoarding antibiotics, masks and hand sanitizer, causing shortages. Local measures include quarantining 200 people, providing masks and gloves to preschool children, and mandating face masks at the city’s aluminium plant.

A planned municipal cleaning day in Irkutsk was cancelled, and the hospital where Shipilova was treated was also placed under quarantine. Authorities have given sparse public advice, with some earlier statements about the disease being deleted or revised. Regional leader Aleksej Tsydenov initially claimed the death was plague-related, later qualifying it as a possible case, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov urged citizens to ignore rumors and follow official health guidance. The United States, represented by Donald Trump, said it was monitoring the situation and would assist Russia as much as possible.