UKHSA says risk of plague 'very low' after Russian laboratory worker 'dies of suspected pneumonic plague'

The risk to the UK from plague is very low, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said, after the death of a laboratory worker in Russia who may have been exposed to pneumonic plague.

In a statement, the UKHSA said it was seeking further information on the Russian case but reassured the public about the possible spread.

Chris Lewis, director of global health protection at the agency, said: "We are aware of media reports that emergency containment measures have been introduced in Russia's Irkutsk region following the death of an employee at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute.

"We are seeking information through the International Health Regulations channels to further understand the circumstances and verify the accuracy of these reports.

"The public health risk from plague to the wider UK population currently remains very low."

It comes after Russian authorities said they quarantined a hospital and are monitoring contacts of an employee from a plague research institute in Siberia who contracted pneumonia from an "unknown" cause.

They say they have found no evidence her illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with, but media reports suggest she may have died of pneumonic plague.

She worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk.

The country's consumer welfare service said the "sanitary-epidemiological situation" in the Irkutsk region and the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov was "stable".

And later, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Russian authorities told it on Tuesday that it ‌has no cases of plague in Irkutsk.

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It also comes after Donald Trump has said the US is looking "very strongly" at the case, and as US Secretary ‌of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington is watching the situation "very closely".

"I think it's incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world," he told reporters in Iceland.

What are the symptoms of plague? And how can it be treated?

According to the WHO, it is the most virulent form of plague and the incubation period can be as short as 24 hours.

Symptoms include severe respiratory issues such as shortness of breath and coughing, often with blood-tainted mucous.

The WHO said pneumonic plague can be fatal within 18 to 24 hours of disease onset if left untreated.

But common antibiotics for enterobacteria can effectively cure the disease if they are given early.

The WHO said: "Any person with pneumonic plague may transmit the disease via respiratory particles to other humans. Untreated pneumonic plague, if not diagnosed and treated early, can be fatal.

"However, recovery rates are high if detected and treated in time - within 24 hours of onset of symptoms."

(c) Sky News 2026: UKHSA says risk of plague 'very low' after Russian laboratory worker 'dies of suspected