Andy Burnham responds to reports of plague death in Russia

The Prime Minister spoke on the subject today (Thursday, October 8) when visiting Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

On Friday last week (October 2), it was reported that a woman died from pneumonia of "undetermined" origin in Siberia after potentially being exposed to the plague.

Russian media have reported that nearly 200 people were placed in isolation.

Last Friday, the 2nd of October, the first media reports emerged of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute in the Russian Federation. The lab worker died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Initial media reports suggested pneumonic plague following an accidental lab exposure. @WHO is aware that the Russian government held a meeting on the 2nd of October because they suspected a resident of the Irkutsk oblast had contracted a dangerous infection. On Saturday, WHO asked the Russian Federation for more information, in accordance with the International Health Regulations. On Tuesday, the Russian Federation responded, saying that no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk oblast, and that they had placed about 200 contacts in quarantine. However, WHO has requested further information on the laboratory tests conducted on the individual who died and the contacts, more detail on what prompted the public health measures, and details about the health status of the contacts. We have also sought verification of media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause. WHO has offered technical support related to plague and lab biosafety and biosecurity. As we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment. Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks.

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 8, 2026

Officials quickly shut down concern, but online speculation and alarm have been spreading.

How has Andy Burnham responded to the Russia plague speculation?

Asked about the claims that a woman had died from the disease in Russia, Mr Burnham told reporters: "Obviously, we take the greatest of care in relation to any issue that relates to our biosecurity, and at this point in time, while we would monitor the situation closely, I wouldn’t want to say anything further.

"We certainly wouldn’t want to alarm people.

"We will do what we can to request that the right steps are being taken, and that’s the approach we’ll take."

What details do we know about the Russian plague death?

The woman who died was Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old who worked at the Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia’s Irkutsk region.

Unconfirmed reports suggest she developed pneumonia-like symptoms either after breaking a test tube containing the plague bacterium or following a field trip to the Buryatia region, which borders Mongolia and where the plague is endemic among wild animals.

No official cause of death has been confirmed at this time, and laboratory testing is reportedly ongoing.

Is the UK at risk of a pneumonic plague outbreak?

Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy at Chemist4U , said there appears to be little risk to the wider public .

He added: “Pneumonic plague is not established in the UK and the reported incident appears to be linked to a very specific outbreak.

“This does not mean though, it isn’t important to be aware of the symptoms.

“If you are experiencing a high fever, chills, fatigue, chest pain, a rapidly worsening cough or difficulty breathing, then it is important you contact a health professional.

“Similarly, if you have recently travelled from an area with a confirmed outbreak of pneumonic plague, then you should also continue to monitor any symptoms.”

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