Macao strengthens screening after travel to Irkutsk Oblast
An official statement documents Macao’s border and clinical measures.
Document or attributed statement; no confirmation of plague
Plague chronicle
Suspicions of plague arose in Russia’s Irkutsk region following the death of anti-plague institute employee Darya Shipilova. We collect the information, sources and full chronology of events here.
As of 19 October 2026. The cause of the fatal pneumonia remains undetermined. No published laboratory confirmation of plague is available. Based on information supplied by Russia, WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission.
The pathogen, source and circumstances of infection remain unresolved. The archive remains available; we check sources weekly and publish updates only when significant verified information emerges. WHO report.
121 articles
Mongolian deputy prime minister corrects Hulunbuir claim: it was a warning
iKon reports Nomtoibayar’s clarification that no cases were officially registered. A Chinese official had earlier denied an outbreak.
Document or attributed statement; no confirmation of plague
Hong Kong specifies isolation criteria after travel to Irkutsk Oblast
A letter to doctors sets reporting criteria for pneumonia following travel.
Document or attributed statement; no confirmation of plague
Regional authorities reject circulating purported plague quarantine decree
IRK.ru reports the regional government’s denial of a circulating document ordering quarantine and compulsory examinations.
Official statement; cause of death unresolved
Hong Kong steps up checks on Russian arrivals and pneumonia surveillance after Irkutsk travel
Airport measures include temperature checks and disclosure of recent Irkutsk travel. The 14-day travel-history window does not mean blanket two-week quarantine.
Official statement; cause of death unresolved
Thailand receives Russian testing information and sees no confirmed plague outbreak
Thailand’s disease-control department reports an exchange with Russia and continued monitoring. Its test and rhinovirus counts differ from WHO’s report.
Official statement; cause of death unresolved
WHO: cause of death remains unknown and laboratory exposure cannot be fully excluded
WHO has found no evidence of ongoing transmission based on Russian information. Without an identified pathogen, it cannot independently assess whether contact monitoring was sufficient. It advises no travel or trade restrictions.
Official statement; cause of death unresolved
UK health agency changes “suspected plague” to “pneumonia of undetermined aetiology”
The UK report’s heading for the Irkutsk event has changed. The agency considers an imported case in the UK very unlikely; the report contains no new tests from Irkutsk.
Official report and documented correction
Romanian physicians explain plague treatment as public radio checks pandemic rumours
The Romanian College of Physicians emphasized early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment for plague. RADOR Radio România examined new-pandemic rumours following the Irkutsk institute employee’s death. These materials contain no new test results from her samples.
Official medical clarification and editorial rumour check
Philippine infectious disease specialist assesses the probability of spread as extremely low
Rontgene Solante described the probability of suspected plague reaching the Philippines as extremely low and urged people not to panic. The Health Department continues monitoring, according to the presidential palace press officer.
Expert assessment and official’s statement reported by news outlets
Australian infectious diseases physician sees no evidence of a threat to Australia
Burnet Institute’s Suman Majumdar said there is currently no evidence of a plague outbreak or a threat to Australia. He called for continued monitoring and information sharing, because incomplete data hinder risk assessment.
Expert assessment in a primary publication by his institute
Hunan experts answer plague questions after Irkutsk reports
Experts from China’s Hunan provincial disease control center described everyday risk in the province as extremely low and explained plague prevention measures. The report provides no new results from examinations of Irkutsk patients.
Expert answers in a primary newsroom report
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About the evidence
The project’s name does not mean that a plague outbreak has been established. The collected material contains no published laboratory confirmation of plague. Media reports, official statements and unverified accounts are identified separately.