The White House is closely monitoring a possible plague outbreak in Russia and is reportedly weighing what, if anything, the United States should do in response.
A Trump administration official said Sunday that the administration “is aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options” following the mysterious death of a researcher at an "anti-plague" institute in Siberia.
This story kind of came out of nowhere, so here's what you need to know.
On September 25, a 28-year-old lab technician by the name of Daria Shipilova – who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East – accidentally broke a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen. She was hospitalized on September 29 with severe pneumonia and died two days later.
Pneumonic plague outbreak hits Siberia as lab worker, 28, dies after breaking test tube and 200 people she was in contact with are put in quarantine https://t.co/50OTMeygfj
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) October 3, 2026
After Shiplova's death, officials placed 200 people who may have come in contact with her or the pathogen into quarantine. None of those individuals are showing symptoms of the plague, according to Russian authorities. And Russian public-health watchdog group, Rospotrebnadzor, reports that Shipilova died from “pneumonia of unknown cause” and there were no microorganisms related to her work found in her body.
Although Russian officials are downplaying the seriousness of the issue, independent journalist Annie Jacobsen reports that their response, including the involvement of an "anti-epidemic commission," indicates otherwise.
"Russia’s new denial—*no plague detected; no laboratory accident; pneumonia is of unknown etiology; situation is stable*—is impossible to square w/its initial emergency response," Jacobsen wrote on X.
☣️Russia’s new denial—*no plague detected; no laboratory accident; pneumonia is of unknown etiology; situation is stable*—is impossible to square w/its initial emergency response, which included FSB. Further, Rospotrebnadzor chief (equivalent of HHS + CDC +/- DHS) initially flew to Irkutsk to convene an extraordinary anti-epidemic commission over a “particularly dangerous infectious disease,” reported to be pneumonic plague.
— Annie Jacobsen (@AnnieJacobsen) October 5, 2026
Jacobsen reported Sunday that she had spoken with current senior U.S. military, intelligence, diplomatic and homeland-security officials involved in biological threats. “I’ve now been in contact w/current, highest level mil/intel/diplo/homeland security officials in biological threat arena,” she wrote, adding that the “[U.S. government] has all eyes on the plague outbreak in Russia and is not letting up.”
On Monday morning, a State Department official told Fox News that the administration" is watching the situation closely along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other federal agencies." The official stressed that many details have yet to be confirmed and called on Russian authorities to reveal what they know.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as new information becomes available.
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