Embassy in Russia is tracking press reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death and associated hospital closures and quarantine measures in the Irkutsk region. An embassy statement on Tuesday did not constitute a new travel warning or change the State Department’s existing Level 4 advisory, which tells Americans not to travel to Russia for any reason. The advisory, issued December 29, 2025, cites terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks.
"The U.S. government has limited ability to help U.S. citizens in Russia, especially outside of Moscow," the alert read. "The State Department’s Level 4 Travel Advisory [Do Not Travel] for Russia remains in place and states U.S. citizens currently in Russia should depart immediately. U.S. citizens planning travel to Russia are again strongly advised not to travel to Russia due to risk of wrongful detention and security concerns." The World Health Organization (WHO) said Russian authorities reported that no plague case had been recorded in Irkutsk in a statement emailed to Newsweek.
However, the official cause of the death of a laboratory worker remained unconfirmed as of Tuesday. The episode has attracted international attention because initial media reports linked Daria Shipilova's death to pneumonic plague, a form of the disease that affects the lungs and can spread through respiratory particles. The WHO said pneumonic plague can be fatal within 18 to 24 hours of symptoms appearing if left untreated, but common antibiotics can effectively cure the infection when administered early.
Despite the uncertainty, the WHO’s initial assessment found the public health risk to be “moderate to low” for Irkutsk, low for Russia overall and very low for the WHO European region. The agency said the assessment could change as it received additional information. In a post on X, the State Department’s TravelGov account said: “Irkutsk, Russia: The U.S.
Embassy is aware of press reports from the Irkutsk region of suspected pneumonic plague resulting in the death of an individual and of associated quarantine measures in, and closures of, hospitals in Irkutsk. We continue to track the situation closely.” The statement attributed the suspected plague death, quarantines and hospital closures to press reports. It did not independently confirm those claims or announce a change to U.S. travel guidance.
The State Department’s broader advisory remains at Level 4, “Do not travel.” It also says U.S. citizens in Russia should leave immediately and warns that the U.S. government has limited capacity to assist citizens, particularly outside Moscow. The WHO said its monitoring system detected media reports on October 2 of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Irkutsk Oblast. On October 3, the organization contacted Russian health authorities under the International Health Regulations to request details about the death, laboratory testing, contact tracing and possible international public health implications.
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