What we know
What we know: Russia keeps a tight lid on suspected case of pneumonic plague as global concerns mount
Compiled Oct 7
What we know
- The lab worker died Oct. 2 in a hospital in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk.
- Russia's Rospotrebnadzor diagnosed her with 'pneumonia of unknown etiology.'
- Russia told the WHO that no case of plague has been registered in the Irkutsk region.
- A hospital was quarantined and contacts of the worker are being medically monitored.
- The news outlet Lyudi Baikala identified her as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova.
- Trump said he would speak with Putin 'very soon' about the issue.
What we don’t know yet
- Whether the lab worker's death was actually caused by pneumonic plague.
- The cause of the severe pneumonia that prompted public health measures.
- Whether a second employee reportedly suffering pneumonia of undetermined cause is linked to the case.
- Whether a Putin-Trump call has been scheduled, according to the Kremlin spokesman.
- What specific pathogen, if any, caused her illness.
Open questions
- Did pneumonic plague actually cause the lab worker's death?
- What is causing the second employee's reported pneumonia?
- Will Putin and Trump actually speak about the case?
- What specific pathogen or cause explains the severe pneumonia?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.