Four States Close Russia Borders After Plague Lab Accident

Four former Soviet republics have closed their borders with Russia for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, citing health concerns after a laboratory accident released plague bacteria in the Irkutsk region.

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, all located along Russia's southern and eastern borders, announced the closure of border crossings and the deployment of screening and isolation measures at checkpoints between the countries.

The closures follow reports of a mishap at a plague research institute in Irkutsk, where

Earlier today, JFEED reported on the unusual incident in which a young researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute accidentally broke a test tube containing rare live Yersinia pestis bacteria, considered the primary cause behind epidemic infections such as the plague and the medieval Black Death in Europe, which killed tens of percent of the population.

Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory assistant, broke the vial during preparation for an experiment. She became the first person infected and died shortly thereafter due to symptoms of the disease. Since then, Russia has announced a mandatory medical mask policy in the region, converted 5 hospitals into isolation centers, placed at least 200 citizens under forced quarantine, and was even forced to close one of the country's largest metal plants due to concerns of local transmission.

The four countries announced that they are "taking proactive steps to prevent infection and spillover events," but emphasized in the same breath that "no conclusions regarding the severity of the situation should be drawn from this." In the coming days, isolation facilities are expected to be deployed in border areas, along with testing and diagnostic capabilities.