White House on Alert Over Suspected Plague Outbreak in Russia After Lab Worker, 28, Dies and Hundreds Are Forced Into Quarantine

The lab researcher's death is still under investigation. She was reportedly hospitalized on Tuesday, September 29, with symptoms of severe pneumonia. She was placed on a ventilator and died Thursday, October 1.

The White House, while "aware" of the incident, has not yet instituted any precautions for United States citizens domestically.

The State Department said it was working alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement.

"We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners," a spokesperson said. "Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.”

Russian authorities did not confirm whether or not she contracted the disease. Nonetheless, precautions were instituted to control the possible plague.

The entire hospital and people who recently came in contact with Shipilova were placed under a strict quarantine. So far, the monitored individuals have not shown symptoms, and they have tested negative for the virus.

She first became ill while on an expedition with other researchers. Shipilova reportedly then told medical staff about breaking a test tube containing live bacteria while collecting samples.

Regional Governor Igor Kobzev did not specifically identify the virus beyond calling it "a dangerous infectious disease." Further, he cancelled all public events in the region.

The government further kept quiet on Shipilova's exact condition. They claimed she had a “pneumonia of unknown etiology," insisting testing revealed there were no microorganisms linked to her work.

Russian officials claimed the region is stable, despite the quarantine orders.

Additionally, Anna Popova, the head of Russia’s public-health watchdog, left Moscow to visit the region after reports of the broken test tube. She did not comment about the potential for outbreak.

Senior Russian epidemiologist Mikhal Favorov told the Moscow Times the response was "laughable."

He said, “Someone working at the anti-plague Institute in Irkutsk wears a protective anti-plague suit. If you break a test tub, the likelihood of infection is actually very low. In short, It doesn’t matter to the general public — they’ll believe the ‘dropped test tube story.’”