ShareCommentsNewsByNeil ShawAssistant Editor08:40, 6 OCT 2026BookmarkGet the latest Plymouth Live breaking news on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital and are monitoring contacts of an employee at a plague research institute in Siberia who contracted pneumonia from an “unknown” cause. Local state TV said the woman died last week. Russian authorities said they found no evidence that her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with. But the case has raised alarm in Russia after unconfirmed media reports suggested she might have died of pneumonic plague — a less common but severe form of plague that can spread from person to person. The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk, south-eastern Siberia.