Russian scientist ‘dies from plague’ as Putin’s top doctor rushes to control outbreak with hospital on lockdown

A 28-year-old Russian scientist is reported to have died from a suspected case of plague, prompting authorities to quarantine a hospital and place people who had contact with her under medical observation. Daria Sh, a medical university graduate who reportedly worked for an anti-plague institute, died after falling seriously ill in Russia’s Irkutsk region following an expedition near the country’s border with Mongolia. Reports have suggested she may have contracted bubonic or pneumonic plague, although Russian officials have not publicly confirmed the specific disease involved. Russia’s Chief State Sanitary Doctor Anna Popova travelled from Moscow to Irkutsk to oversee the response after ...