Urdu Report Desk
ISLAMABAD, October 9, 2026 — Pakistan’s Ministry of Health has assessed the risk of plague spreading to the country as very low following concerns over a suspected case in Siberia, Russia.
A ministry official said Border Health Services had been alerted at all entry points, while the National Institute of Health (NIH) had the capacity to diagnose the disease.
Health Authorities Monitoring the Situation
The Director General of Health said both the Ministry of Health and the NIH were aware of the incident in Russia.
According to a ministry official, the World Health Organization (WHO) did not yet have complete information about the suspected case.
Death of Russian Laboratory Worker Raises Concerns
The concerns emerged after Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died on October 2.
Russian authorities initially placed around 200 people who had been in contact with her under quarantine. Officials later reported that nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had found no cases of plague among her contacts.
Authorities said 90% of those quarantined had subsequently been released.
Russia Reports No Risk of an Epidemic
Russia’s health regulator said on Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic and that precautionary measures were being gradually scaled back.
Shipilova’s death has not been confirmed as a plague case. Although a regional governor initially suggested that she might have contracted the disease, Russia’s health watchdog said she died from an unidentified type of pneumonia.
How Plague Spreads
Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It can spread to humans through the bites of infected fleas or respiratory particles.
Early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can help treat the infection.
