Researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of ‘unknown’ infection

[u/hoosakiwi]

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/04/europe/russia-laboratory-plague-accident-intl

[u/MrIDilkingtonn]

Russian plague laboratory, now there’s a combination of words that fills one with confidence.

[u/hello_hola → u/MrIDilkingtonn]

I just read a book about this EXACT same scenario. Book is called '' Biological War, A Scenario ". Scary as fuck. 

[u/yonatan1981 → u/hello_hola]

I'm in the middle of the Stand. I find the plague apocalypse waaaaay more scary than the supernatural stuff later on.

[u/aidanathome → u/yonatan1981]

Incredible book.

[u/rfsmr → u/aidanathome]

The TV movie beginning with the bio warfare lab getting infected while Don't Fear The Reaper is playing has really stayed with me all these years later.

Edit: Typo

[u/Fair_Grocery_1839 → u/rfsmr]

M.O.O.N. That spells Reaper.

[u/xxxxDEFIANTxxxx → u/rfsmr]

me too..everyone dead and all the machines just going about there business with no bother to anyone else...chilling

[u/Mean_Initiative_5962 → u/yonatan1981]

The first 200ish pages of that book are some of the best work among all King's bibliography 

[u/kjnetz → u/yonatan1981]

Great, Captain Trips incoming…

Baby, can you dig your man? 😬

[u/Old-Scratch666 → u/kjnetz]

He’s a righteous man

[u/kjnetz → u/Old-Scratch666]

M o o n spells we’re fucked. Laws, yes.

[u/DungeonsAndDradis → u/kjnetz]

Nick: But I don't believe that Russia will release a biological weapon!

Mother Abigail: Russia doesn't care what you believe!

[u/_cob_ → u/yonatan1981]

The Stand is such a great book.

[u/Evillunamoth → u/hello_hola]

Is it credible? I’ve seen it brought up and then discourse over the author follows.

[u/Sirbuttercups → u/Evillunamoth]

I don't know if this will help  you feel better. I'm taking a class on the plague, and my professor talked about this book. He said while it definitely takes some liberties (basically always assuming the absolute worst outcome will happen at every turn) it isn't totally far-fetched or unrealistic.

[u/hello_hola → u/Evillunamoth]

Her last book about nuclear war was better, IMO. While I think she takes shortcuts in this one, is still based in real scenarios that happened during Covid, so totally possible.

If you like books in this genre, I loved "The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States". That's the best of these three. 

[u/ClaudeGascoigne → u/MrIDilkingtonn]

Based on my experience, Madagascar has already closed its borders.

[u/Pristine-Flan-9661 → u/ClaudeGascoigne]

Low on symptoms high on transmissibility, my boy!!

[u/NastyLittleBagginses → u/Pristine-Flan-9661]

"Stop mutating 'sneezing dammit!"

[u/ctorg → u/MrIDilkingtonn]

The facility is actually called the Anti-Plague Research Institute, but the headline makes it sound like the opposite. Feels disingenuous.

[u/BrothelWaffles → u/ctorg]

Pretty much all bio weapons labs are labeled like that, actively developing bioweapons was outlawed via international treaty in 1975 so everybody just has "bioweapon defense labs". You know, because you need to defend against those illegal bioweapons that nobody is allowed to develop. See also: Fort Detrick and Plum Island in the US.

[u/VoidOmatic → u/BrothelWaffles]

Yup and back then Russia kept developing them because they thought the US was lying about ceasing development. We had to literally drive their asses around the US to get them to realize we stopped and destroyed our legacy assets.

[u/KimchiLlama → u/VoidOmatic]

This transparency was also why we had permission for them to do high altitude spy plane flights above the U.S., we got to do the same. Sort of a trust but verify thing.

Now we don’t trust, but we also don’t verify, which is a great recipe for escalation.

[u/Xytakis → u/ctorg]

You need to have the plagues to make a cure. You can say one of two things. There was a tragic accident by a researcher who dropped a vial or something, and for some reason they have no idea what it is (even though they very well should it being a research lab), or they are trying to weaponize something, and don't want to say what they are doing.

[u/Outrageous_Reach_695 → u/Xytakis]

Ok, but if it was a cover-up, you'd think they would just lie about the pathogen. "Yup, definitely just a bad flu. Yuri wasn't the best about maintaining his health to begin with."

[u/tiller_luna → u/Outrageous_Reach_695]

This story is a few days old, initially published details heavily implied an incident with plague, but those could well be rumors; later official claims said "pneumonia of unknown etiology". But do you lock up 200 potentially contacted people in hospitals within a single day for a random seasonal crap?

(No, they aren't ill yet, they are contacts; plague is not nearly as infectious by itself as SARS-CoV-2 (unless they be breeding it), and anybody found ill early enough would have treatment far better than in Middle age.)

[u/mymikerowecrow → u/ctorg]

No, I’m very much concerned about an anti-plague lab being one of the most likely places for a plague to originate

[u/poonmangler → u/ctorg]

Tf you mean? Anti-plague feels very implied. We're all worried about the "Russian part"

[u/Annatto → u/MrIDilkingtonn]

Don’t worry, it operates under their Department of Plagues

[u/hoosakiwi]

From the article:

Russian authorities are responding to an incident in which a suspected dangerous infection was released as a result of a laboratory accident in Siberia and a researcher died.

The incident occurred at the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk, according to Russian state media TASS.

It is unclear exactly what was released, according to the state agency that handles infectious disease, Rospotrebnadzor. One person – a laboratory worker – is said to have died in the incident after being diagnosed with a pneumonia of “unknown” origin.

The bottom of the article states the following:

Onishchenko told the state news agency TASS that the onset of cold weather would likely prevent transmission.

Pneumonic plague is one of three types of plagues that are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The other two types typically spread from contact with infected fleas, animals or infected tissues. But the pneumonic plague, or lung-based plague, can transfer easily from person to person through respiratory particles.

and

The World Health Organization has noted that plague has a high fatality rate, but is also easily treated with antibiotics and the use of precautions to prevent infections.

Hard to tell from this article if it is indeed pneumonic plague or if it's something else. If it's the first, it sounds like another pandemic is unlikely.

[u/stickyfan1230 → u/hoosakiwi]

I don’t know if any of you follow Dr. Rubin on social media, but he is usually one of those informed clear heads that separates truth from hysteria, and he said it was pneumonic plague. Not sure what his source was but he doesn’t tend to spread rumors. He basically said the woman who died was in her 20s and was a lab worker, that they are quarantining 200 people, and the incubation period is 1-7 days. He says it is treatable by antibiotics but it is spread by droplets. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

[u/PiccoloAwkward465 → u/stickyfan1230]

Thanks. It's so hard to find actual discussion in this thread instead of very cool jokes. I was reading a book about smallpox and how there was a wink-wink "we're definitely not playing around with it" situation at the lab in Russia. Like US lab visitors saw all the equipment that they'd expect for dealing with smallpox but the Russians had cleaned out the lab and denied it.

[u/cardinarium → u/PiccoloAwkward465]

My dad (in the US) used to work in a lab that experimented with smallpox. He didn’t do it himself—he was in bioinformatics. But they brought it out fairly regularly apparently.

[u/Firefly_deadlock → u/hoosakiwi]

The World Health Organization has noted that plague has a high fatality rate, but is also easily treated with antibiotics and the use of precautions to prevent infections.

Yes, but that becomes less relevant if it's more of a Plague Research Institute than an Anti-Plague Research Institute,

or if they've been messing around with stuff they shouldn't really have been.

or even if they were doing legitimate research into, say, bacterial resistance

[u/Xenon009 → u/Firefly_deadlock]

In this case, it's both reassuring and scary.

The Irkutsk Anti-Plague institute is a genuine anti-plague research centre (and other nasties like cholera, brucellosis, tularemia and anthrax). They are actually a fairly well recognised institution in that regard with a lot of cross border collaboration, primarily with mongolia and china, but also some with the west.

The bad news is that this lab used to be part of the soviet biowarfare programme that was very much inherited by russia.

The good news within the bad news is that this was not one of the labs that explicity focused on offensive biowarfare before everything went all secretive because the UN banned it.

Ultimately this was very likely an organic leak, but unfortunately the possibility is not zero of this being a spicier version, either deliberately made as a weapon, or being used to try and pre-empt the bioweapons russias enemies might seek to use.

[u/Bighty]

It was previously reported as being the pneumonic plague.

[u/Alexis_J_M → u/Bighty]

That's actually good news. People catch the plague from ground squirrels up in the hills near Los Angeles every year and it's easily treated with antibiotics.

[u/cannotfoolowls → u/Alexis_J_M]

Bubonic plague is treatable and not very deadly anymore. Pneumonic plague is also treatable but still deadly and if untreated has close to a 100% fatality rate. Septicemic plague is also very deadly, even with early treatment with antibiotics it has a mortality rate of 4-15%

[u/userforce → u/cannotfoolowls]

Treatment seems to be antibiotics within 24 hours of symptoms, or after exposure preemptively. Patients still require oxygen and hospitalization in almost all cases after symptom onset. Even with early treatment, this shit still has a 17% mortality rate—nearly 100% death rate if left untreated. R-naught is anywhere between 1.3-3.5. Which, with a disease that requires hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics, and oxygen at symptom onset still with a 17% mortality rate, is a lot of infection potential…

[u/discordant_melody → u/Alexis_J_M]

No, the pneumonic form is not easily treated. Bubonic is if they catch it in time. Pneumonic is more rare, and tends to be misdiagnosed until someone is very, very ill and others have been exposed. But you don't want the pneumonic or septicemic forms.

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/Alexis_J_M]

Shouldn’t the worker have been easily treated then? Surely the lab would know exactly what antibiotics to give

[u/Seek_Adventure → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

Unfortunately from what I read she just went home after cleaning up the spill, didn't self quarantine or raise the alarm, nothing.

[u/alf0282 → u/Seek_Adventure]

So if there is an outbreak, Irkutsk is ground zero and we’ll know within a couple of weeks.

[u/Dramatic-Classroom14 → u/Seek_Adventure]

Par for the course with Russia.

If you report it, now someone has to get in trouble for it, and nobody wants to deal with being the one on the chopping block for fucking up the “plague that kills you” containment.

[u/cannotfoolowls → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

Pneumonic plague is pretty deadly even when treated

[u/Autisum → u/Bighty]

I suppose that’s mildly better than losing control of your body, dying, and then start attacking and devouring another human being… 

[u/ItsJackWill]

Hindsight is 2020, so let’s not bring it back.

[u/bauhassquare → u/ItsJackWill]

Well, we didn’t really learn anything from 2020 unfortunately

[u/-Unnamed- → u/bauhassquare]

We learned that there is a large portion of the population that is extremely selfish and stupid and dangerous.

[u/Buck4phat]

I don’t want to lysol my groceries again

[u/Impossible_Bit7169 → u/Buck4phat]

The Lysol of grocery’s will continue until morale improves!

[u/PelvisGrbac]

Oh, good. Anyone ready for another lockdown?

[u/AaronfromKY → u/PelvisGrbac]

If it means I don't have to spend 5 hours a week in traffic, fuck yeah

[u/alrightfornow → u/AaronfromKY]

A 30 minute commute to work? You're lucky

[u/aeschenkarnos → u/AaronfromKY]

Maybe THIS TIME we can keep work from home after the pandemic? Maybe?

[u/Scuba9Steve → u/aeschenkarnos]

Nah sorry the defense contractor I work for says we’re essential workers again.

[u/Canadian-Man-infj → u/AaronfromKY]

Don't do dead, though.

[u/hibbitydibbidy → u/Canadian-Man-infj]

It's just the flu, remember?

[u/User-1653863 → u/hibbitydibbidy]

So I should buy stock in Ivermectin, or..?

[u/Cessnaporsche01 → u/PelvisGrbac]

It's almost certainly Yersinia Pestis, which they've had a reported outbreak of. Not exactly hard to treat if your entire nation isn't held together by bubblegum and string and researchers aren't being threatened against reporting the outbreak lest they make the state look weak

[u/kahlzun → u/Cessnaporsche01]

So not just a plague, but the plague

[u/Jukeboxhero91 → u/kahlzun]

Good news, the strains that caused the Black Death plagues in Europe are thought to be extinct. There are still yersinia pestis strains that have ground squirrels and other rodents as reservoirs, but those strains are less deadly.

Bad news, if this is pneumonic plague that’s really really infectious and really really deadly. Even with treatment. Good thing we all know what to do because of a recent pandemic right?

[u/FuzzyFerretFace → u/PelvisGrbac]

I’m cool with another lockdown. It had its perks.

What I’m not cool with, is seeing a bunch of grown-ass adults stomp their feet and act like toddlers over it, while toting ‘I do what I want!’.

[u/glacialspicerack1808 → u/FuzzyFerretFace]

I'm a teacher and I absolutely am not fucking ready for another round of socially and academically crippling remote "learning."

[u/Security_Ostrich → u/PelvisGrbac]

Wow forever launches November 4th. So yeah I'd say how would he the time.

[u/Major-Ant4600 → u/Security_Ostrich]

Wow classic launched the summer before Covid. Is Blizzard the herald of the next global pandemic?

[u/Sunnyjim333 → u/PelvisGrbac]

I am happy to say I am no longer an Essential Person. I can enjoy the lockdown and not interact with obnoxious people.

[u/WiseDrink2324 → u/Sunnyjim333]

I was deemed "essential" last go round. I said the fuck I am and stayed home anyways

[u/Furiousmathsdebate → u/PelvisGrbac]

Don’t threaten me with a good time.

[u/longpenisofthelaw → u/PelvisGrbac]

I mean gas prices are already high might as well offset it with less travel

[u/braunyakka]

One thing we learned from chernobyl, by the time the Russians admit something bad has happened, it's likely already cataclysmically out of control...Time to stock up on toilet paper!

[u/caeloequos → u/braunyakka]

I installed a bidet in 2020 and never looked back hahah

[u/trer24 → u/caeloequos]

I love a clean ass.

[u/dont_be_that_guy_29 → u/braunyakka]

sippin on that horse dewormer and bleach right now bro

[u/7h3_man → u/braunyakka]

My guess is that half the staff are sick and the whole place is under quarantine until they recover/die

[u/wpetedds]

I was a microbiologist for 30 years. I am wondering why there isn’t a preliminary report to her cause of death. She was admitted to the hospital on September 29 and died on
October 1. Upon admission, they would have taken a sputum or bronchial washings and blood culture. In our lab, we had an automated blood culture machine. Within less than two days, her blood culture would probably be positive. These specimens are cultured, but results from growth on plates is lengthy. I would hope that the hospital sent blood and sputum to a speciality lab to perform PCR and DFA ( direct fluorescent antibody) , which would speed up the process of identifying the lab workers cause of death. I have read that the Anti-Plague institute does these tests. Then we would know if the lab worker died of Yersinia pestis.

[u/Itchy_Feedback_7625 → u/wpetedds]

Because it’s Russia. Remember, they also didn’t report to the rest of the world that Chernobyl was in a meltdown, Sweden did first due to radiation seen there.

That’s to say I’m sure Russia knows a lot about it. They just don’t feel the need to inform us.

[u/gloriousgirl89 → u/wpetedds]

Rumors of course since we dont know, but some are claiming they were messing around with this for bioweapons. Its also why 200 are quarantining. Pneumonic plague happens occasionally in the US and is cured with antibiotics. This certainly sounds like more.

[u/The_Schwartz_]

Picked one helluva week to start reading The Stand...

[u/Skreeethemindthief → u/The_Schwartz_]

Picked a hell of a week to stop sniffing glue.

[u/somecow → u/Skreeethemindthief]

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

And don’t call me shirley.

[u/TheFrenchSavage → u/somecow]

Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

[u/total_brodel → u/The_Schwartz_]

I was reading it while I had Covid and I was driving to Colorado

[u/No_Cucumber3978]

“...a rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucous.".

Has anyone seen that film with Dustin Hoffman and that little monkey with a white face? I forget the name. I think Bruce Willis was in it and nearly gets bummed by a bear in Philly. 

Can't we just, like, do what they did in the opening scene in that? The big boom. Say it was for the greater good? Get someone like David Morse or Gwyneth Paltrow to take it over there in a suitcase...

Two birds, one stone? Blame that Morgan Freeman fella?

Maybe get Kevin Spacey over there to investigate? We could do with a reboot/sequel. 

[u/Dottsterisk → u/No_Cucumber3978]

The movie is called Outbreak and I know the scene you’re talking about.

[u/palmburntblue → u/Dottsterisk]

Mostly based around the The Hot Zone which is probably the scariest book I’ve ever read

[u/BananaCEO → u/palmburntblue]

It’s been a minute since I read that but I remember there was a lab down the street from me in Virginia where a monkey infected with Ebola or something similar got loose. I don’t think it ever escaped the building but I’m pretty sure there’s a lab scene in the book that was based off this event. I remember trying to imagine a plague in suburban Virginia…

[u/blac_sheep90 → u/No_Cucumber3978]

Outbreak - 1995.

[u/No_Cucumber3978 → u/blac_sheep90]

That's the one. 

That intro scene was brutal. Still remember seeing that and absolutely getting the instant exploding thorn-like galloping trots (the shits) and thinking I'd somehow been infected via DVD. 

[u/TwoStoopidToFurryass → u/No_Cucumber3978]

"I think Bruce Willis was in it and nearly gets bummed by a bear in Philly. "

Sounds like a little bit of 12 Monkeys is bleeding into your memory of Outbreak.

[u/HiFiMAN3878]

This is being widely reported on various channels as pneumonic plague, which is highly treatable, but also has a very high mortality rate if not treated.

Based on the current climate of the world, if something like this ever did widely outbreak, many people would die. Too many low IQ numbnuts floating around that have been convinced to be anti medicine/science.

[u/_joos_ → u/HiFiMAN3878]

well if all the people with half a brain seek treatment instead of doing nothing, we might end up having a more intelligent world after such an outbreak

editing to spread the message that this isn't to say that education isn't one of the highest priorities of a society and that people shouldn't do their best to educate the masses on science, whether it relates to disease or anything else.

the answer to ignorance isn't shaming or death, that only increases it. the answer to ignorance is education and the effective and personalized sharing of knowledge

[u/ItsFruityKiwi → u/_joos_]

A lot of people cannot access healthcare for many reasons, or it would kill them too quickly to get treatment. Or the treatment could kill them. The world is not black and white. Coronavirus killed many intelligent people who were unable to access the vaccine, or got the disease regardless of vaccination and passed. Intelligence is not the only virtue, as well.

[u/Illustrious-Gas-9766]

Does this somehow sound like a covid reboot.

Lucky we have RFK to deal with it

[u/petewondrstone → u/Illustrious-Gas-9766]

Nothing that a little raccoon penis can’t cure

[u/Emotional-Zone9147]

“Unknown infection” at a “plague laboratory.” Well, let’s hope whatever genetically modded pathogen it is stays in the lab. Really would like to avoid a 12 Monkeys scenario.

[u/platyelminthas]

How many plagues can one accept in a lifetime?

[u/Pokemaster131 → u/platyelminthas]

We've had first pandemic yes, but what about second pandemic?

[u/platyelminthas → u/Pokemaster131]

A pandemic is never early. Nor is it late. It arrives precisely when it means to

[u/PhDSkwerl → u/platyelminthas]

Alright Russian ‘plague laboratory’, keep your secrets 🤨

[u/Messmer-Impaler-148 → u/PhDSkwerl]

If you're referring to the incident at the Wuhan lab, I was barely involved.

[u/TheNewGirl1987]

Y'know what? Okay.
Fine. Just let it happen and get it over with.
I'm so tired.

[u/Nutridus → u/TheNewGirl1987]

Like the prisoner in the Green Mile, I’m tired boss, I’m tired of people being mean. I think that’s how so many people are feeling. So damn tired.

[u/United_Button2644 → u/TheNewGirl1987]

I am concerned for our mental health.

[u/DragonflyGrrl → u/TheNewGirl1987]

About sums it up. I get it, sis... 🫂

[u/boartails]

News from Russia means either it didn't happen and they need you to think it did, or it did happen and it's much worse than they are saying.

[u/Kargtos → u/boartails]

Am from Russia. The government is trying to cover up the story and denies the existence of a lab worker who accidentally got infected and died. Which means they did get infected and did die. Also it’s probably way worse. Let’s not forget Soviets did everything they could to cover up Chernobyl.

[u/monster_bunny → u/Kargtos]

If they start playing Swan Lake or Tchaikovsky of any kind on state media do report back.

[u/Acrobatic-Code2038 → u/boartails]

I was thinking the same. What could the benefit of releasing this information possibly be? 🤔

[u/huebomont]

The infection is not unknown, this is awful writing. The way she got it is unknown but only in the sense that it's not specifically known the exact vector. She worked with them in a lab. That's how she got it.

[u/dont_thr0w_me_away_]

Well there's no way this can go south. 

Stock up on your toilet paper, kids

[u/Spare_Sheepherder772]

Why are the Russians manufacturing the plague again??

[u/81659354597538264962 → u/Spare_Sheepherder772]

It’s the only way they’ll pose a threat in WW3

[u/hyperrealists]

Babe wake up COVID-26 just dropped

[u/17144058]

Hell yeah dude we are so back

[u/Fnordmeister]

So ... Whenever Trump is president, a plague spreads around the world.

How are evangelicals not picking up on this pattern?

[u/Miserable-Promise454 → u/Fnordmeister]

They want the world to end, they want the apocalypse. Many voted for trump believing he will be their 'savoir' by being the one who brings about the destruction of us all so they can float up into the sky and say "I told you so."

[u/Fnordmeister → u/Miserable-Promise454]

So ... evangelicals think that Trump is the Antichrist?

[u/Useurnoodle37 → u/Fnordmeister]

No joke there are so many coincidences in the Bible describing the antichrist that fit Trump. Its honestly scary there's an article about it. They even had to update after the Trump assassination attempt because the Bible closely predicted it

[u/starrpamph]

This time I’m doing the multi million dollar ppp loan forgiveness like everyone else did

[u/duvie773]

Oh good, I was just thinking that the times we were living in weren’t unprecedented enough

[u/WideGlideReddit]

I’m sure the Russians will be completely transparent and cooperate fully with international health agencies. Thankfully, Trump and Co. has had the foresight to purged the CDC of those pesky scientists that claim to be experts at all things disease related. Nothing increases my confidence more than RFKJR telling me that the plague is a hoax and any vaccine will cause autism. He’s a lawyer so we know he’s ethical.

[u/Matman161]

Well if that isn't the headline from the start of a video game prologue

[u/NerfedPolitik]

Lol here we go! COVID 2.0, Get ready for the party!

[u/PatriotNews_dot_com → u/NerfedPolitik]

COVID 2 : Fungal boogaloo

[u/Alive_Employer5620]

I’m impressed with Resident Evils marketing campaign

[u/redkid2000]

“Aw shit, here we go again.”

[u/Foulwinde]

Lets convince MAGA that they dont need masks this time.

[u/sbd2010]

Well, we had a terrible and horrific run you guys. ✌🏻💗

[u/Big_Boooosh]

Can people stop playing Plague Inc in real life, please? I don’t think Greenland can hold all of us.

[u/gadgetwalrus → u/Big_Boooosh]

The key is to get to Greenland early… love ai infused zombie pathogen.

[u/TheProletariatPoet]

If Russian state media put it out to the world, it must already be bad and breaking containment

[u/2026_MT07]

I just seen this movie it’s called resident evil

[u/kwack250]

Ahh shit. This is like one of the notifications from Plauge Inc

[u/renome]

Just one year of no generational crisis is all I ask for. Please cunts

[u/Nars-Glinley]

At least I don’t have to worry about my parents dying again.

[u/inflatableje5us]

well, i guess i wont reach retirement after all.

[u/TurtlesBreakTheMeta → u/inflatableje5us]

>millenials and Gen Z thinking about it being impossible to ever retire at all

“good news everyone!”

[u/andcanigettahottub]

“Hold my beer, Wuhan” -Russia

[u/PFChangsFanAccount]

Day 1: Management has assigned us to a Russian plague sample lab to collect completely docile microscopic samples. It requires strict containment, but it is totally safe.

Day 4: We crossed a silverback gorilla with a praying mantis and gave it assault rifles for hands. It seems happy.

Day 7: Subject "Bob" has escaped the sample lab, flattened three security teams, and is currently staring through the glass while vibrating at the speed of sound.

Day 10 (Written in frantic, bloody scrawl): It’s in the vents. It knows my name. If you’re reading this, its already ite-

[u/christmaswitch23]

I think I’ve seen this film before and I didn’t like the ending.

[u/UnableFox9396]

“Anti-plague research” is code for “bio-weapons development” I take it?

[u/MLiOne]

Biological warfare on anyone’s bingo card?

[u/Affectionate-Act1574]

“The researcher contracted pneumonia of unknown etiology, symptoms of which caused the victim to accelerate rapidly towards the ground as they fell from a seventh-story window.”

[u/somethingbrite]

"Prior to her death, she reportedly told medical personnel that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live biological samples while working inside the facility."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-plague-unknown-virus-quarantine-siberia-b3061181.html

According to Euronews.... exposed 25th september.... dead by 2nd October.

https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/04/has-plague-returned-to-siberia-panic-in-russia-after-death-of-lab-worker

[u/Buckstop_Knight78]

Welp this is how The Stand started…

[u/meleecow]

I mean at this point you could give America the measels and it would mess up our society. Oh wait it's happening?

[u/Jam_Man85]

Literally how Annie Jacobsen's book Biological Warfare: A Scenario begins. Weaponized pneumonic plague leaked from a BSL-4 facility in Russia. The scariest aspect about that strain is it's genetically modified to make you feel pure euphoria for about 12 hours...before the deadly effects take hold. Oh and it's resistant to all forms of antibiotics...so that's fucking horrifying.

[u/Reynardine1976 → u/Jam_Man85]

Euphoria for 12 hours?! that's diabolical.

[u/ABigCupidSunt]

Wuhan 2: Russian boogaloo

[u/No_Amount_7886]

Everybody get your sourdough starter going ASAP

[u/SardonicApple45]

Russian outbreak brought to you by The Umbrella Corporation. Good Luck Everyone.

[u/therealhairykrishna]

I just learned about how the Russian bioweapon program has expanded in the past 5 years. Wonderful. Now I have something new to worry fruitlessly about as I go to sleep.

[u/TrionCube]

I’m guessing, the plague.

[u/-_-0_0-_0]

O shit, here we go again

[u/Haunting-Figure3596]

Well at least the current admin has really stepped research on this kind of thing and put money into the CDC.😂😔😂😔

[u/marc_hardman]

Using a disease outbreak to create lockdowns and martial law is a very effective way to both control a population AND prevent transfers of power

[u/NinjaMcCloud]

News flash…. Worldwide pandemic delays midterm elections 🤦‍♂️

[u/Immortal_peacock]

Cool...cool...cool cool cool.

[u/PotentialEmu2367]

Me: this year can’t get any worse.

Russian Biolaboratory: hold my beer.

[u/coffee_ape]

HEY, we're 4 years too early for this next pandemic.

[u/let_me_use_reddit]

This is going to ruin the tour

[u/xenovis]

Madagascar closes their shipyards

[u/stlredbird]

Woman who died was employed by the “Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute.”

So mission failure for the institute i guess.

[u/Electronic-Morning25]

Ok, let me go stock up on toilet paper now while still possible.

[u/SeaworthinessCalm183]

….what in the Resident Evil FUCK is going on

[u/luihgi]

we're on a human extinction speedrun eh?

[u/CrimsonAssbag]

Oh, great. That is how the zombie apocalypse starts.

[u/FanOfMen69]

Oh joy next it will be a bio attack and still the west/NATO will do nothing but ask us to wear masks whilst they twiddle their thumbs doing nothing about Russia and their constant warfare.

[u/rmanjr12]

Lockdown 2.0 will totally drive down gas prices….

[u/Brad32198]

Am I working from home next month or not

[u/Mikeyao9]

Thats not a combination of words you want to be hearing in a news article

[u/Dismal-Platform-9340]

Hello darkness my old friend.

[u/lemonspriggs]

I ACTUALLY just cackled at “anti-plague research”

Suuuuuure wink wink

[u/Worldly_Anybody_9219]

It sucks that with Russia we can't tell if this is the treatable version of the plague or a "3.6 roentgen, not great, not terrible" moment.

[u/fleurgirl123 → u/Worldly_Anybody_9219]

We can’t even tell that with America right now

[u/cloudncali]

Yeah sure why not let's do the plague again, we've not about 4 plot points on repeat here.

[u/shrewdandlewd]

Russian Plague Laboratory

Thanks, that’s my band name now.

[u/StandardNerd92]

As if Russia hasn't done enough damage to the world.

[u/Starthelegend]

Ya know what? Fuck it, pandemic part 2 electric boogaloo

[u/tennoPCA]

Alexa, please play Don't Fear the Reaper...

[u/Elephantsgeralds]

Are the symptoms of the infection falling out of a window?

[u/forgot_my_useragain]

Don't Fear the Reaper plays in the background...

[u/PlayaNBallaNGangsta]

A plague laboratory is exactly how you give the entire planet a plague

[u/unicornpoopcookies]

Could we just fucking noooooot do this again

[u/SnsBnB]

Article already outdated, it's several hospitals in and around Irkutsk that have already been quarantined.

[u/Hooked_on_Avionics]

Ah shit, here you go again.

[u/Randactbjthroaway]

Can we not do this again please?

[u/WobblyFrisbee]

Man, i sure hope the wormy roadkill I just ate was not infected… gonna have a slug of bleach, and shove a lightbulb up my ass, just to be safe. Do your own research, kids!!!

[u/SeesawNoknow]

oh great, this doesn't remind me of the fall of 2019 not at all...

[u/Nextplz06gt]

"I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending......"

[u/soulsummenor]

well. It was bad while it lasted.

[u/Rock-Ski-Golf-Repeat]

Russia is one of those countries, one of those people, you really wish were as intelligent as they think they are.

[u/TotallyNotaTossIt]

Oh goodie. We don’t have enough fatal plagues in the world.

[u/Illimited_Esoterica]

As the credits for 2026 roll this is the teaser for the plot of 2027. Get hyped.

[u/TheManInTheShack]

“most likely not the plague” is not terribly reassuring.

[u/Gunz1995]

Start saving your money for the low interest mortgage.
Invest NOW in hand sanitizer
Buy a 3 year supply of toilet paper

I’m getting rich this time around

[u/johnnyribcage]

I got dibs on the toilet paper

[u/liberty340]

Ah shit, here we go again