Ex-CDC Director Questions Strain of Plague After Russian Researcher's Death

A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed concern that a suspected plague case in Russia may involve a "manipulated" strain of the disease. Dr. Robert Redfield, who led the CDC at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, told NewsNation that the aggressive response by Russian authorities, including the isolation of over 200 people and the closure of five hospitals, does not align with a typical pneumonic plague outbreak.

Redfield noted that pneumonic plague, while rare and potentially fatal within 24 hours, does not usually spread easily from person to person. "That's not pneumonic plague. It doesn't make sense to me that this was wild-type plague," he stated, adding that it is unlikely a lab worker would die from an unmanipulated strain if proper protocols were followed.

He suggested that if the plague bacterium the researcher was working with had been modified to be resistant to antibiotics, it could explain why standard treatments might have failed. Redfield pointed to past Russian bio-offensive programs that have altered the susceptibility of organisms to traditional antibiotics.

Alarm was raised last week after reports emerged that Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, allegedly broke a test tube containing live bacteria responsible for pneumonic plague. Local media reports and statements from local officials indicated she may have been infected with pneumonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Russian officials, however, have claimed Shipilova died from an "unidentified pneumonia," citing evidence of COVID-19 and the common cold among her colleagues.

Shipilova was hospitalized on September 29 and later died on October 2. It remains unclear if she received antibiotics, which are effective if administered early in the disease's progression. The Irkutsk facility itself has historical links to Soviet-era military research into plague strains, with some reports suggesting studies on strains that could have military applications during the 1970s and 1980s. A former researcher in Russia's germ-warfare program, Dr. Ken Alibek, has previously stated that the Soviet Union worked on creating antibiotic-resistant versions of the plague bacterium for potential bioweapons.

Amid fears of a potential spread, some countries bordering Russia have begun to tighten health controls. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow reiterated its Level 4 Travel Advisory for Russia, urging U.S. citizens to depart immediately due to risks of wrongful detention and security concerns. The World Health Organization and other international health bodies have requested more information from Russia regarding the suspected case.

Dr. Erica Schwartz, CDC director, expressed high confidence that the threat to the United States from the suspected outbreak is "extremely low." U.S. President Donald Trump also stated he was confident the case was not caused by a manipulated strain, following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though he noted Russian officials assured him the situation was "very much under control."

Plague, particularly the pneumonic form, infects the lungs and can be fatal without early treatment. While it can spread person-to-person through respiratory transmission, sustained close contact is generally required. Annually, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 plague cases are recorded globally, with smaller numbers reported in the U.S., primarily in the southwestern states. The Irkutsk region has previously reported plague cases, and in July, Mongolia confirmed a human plague case, warning of plague-risk areas within the country.