A laboratory worker in the Irkutsk Region of Russia has died from a suspected case of plague, leading to approximately 200 people being placed under medical supervision. The head of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, confirmed the death of the female lab worker from an unspecified form of plague, which Irkutsk authorities have classified as a “particularly dangerous infection.” According to Russia’s consumer rights protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, the woman had not visited areas within Tsydenov’s region, and there have been no reported cases of plague in the Republic of Buryatia, including areas bordering Mongolia. The deceased, identified as Darya Sh., aged around 27-28, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute and reportedly accidentally cut herself while working with a sample containing live bacteria. She was hospitalized in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk, with severe pneumonia symptoms on Tuesday and passed away on Thursday despite being placed on a ventilator. A special commission has been established in Shelekhov, placing the hospital under quarantine while investigations continue, and 197 possible contacts are in medical isolation. Public events in Irkutsk have been cancelled, and a criminal investigation has been launched into potential health safety violations leading to the fatality.