PlaguePrimer is a small, independent explainer about one event: the suspected plague case reported in Irkutsk, Russia, in early October 2026. We set out what health authorities have confirmed, what has only been reported, and what we could not verify. We also explain the ideas behind the news: how plague spreads, and why contacts are isolated or quarantined.
Why this site exists
When "plague in Russia" reached the headlines, the facts were spread across official statements in Russian, wire reports and social media posts that repeated one another. We wanted one place where every claim carries its source and its date, and where the difference between "confirmed" and "reported" is clear at a glance.
Who we are
The site is written and maintained by the PlaguePrimer team. The team has formal training in epidemiology and public health.
We sign our work as a team. Our pages are not reviewed by a practicing clinician, and nothing here is medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.
What we do
- Name the source of every fact in the sentence, with a date and a link to the original, or to the named news report that carried it when we can't find the original.
- Label each claim about the Irkutsk case as Confirmed, Reported or Unconfirmed, so you can see how solid it is. How the labels work.
- Show the date we last checked each page against its sources.
- Correct mistakes in the open, with a dated note on the page.
What we don't do
- Forecast case numbers, spread, or how the investigation will end.
- Give personal medical advice. Your doctor and your local health authority are the right people for that.
- Publish the names or personal details of patients, health workers or their contacts.
- Run ads, sponsored content, newsletters or user accounts.
Independence
PlaguePrimer is not affiliated with the World Health Organization, with Russia's public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, or with any government, health agency or company. We take no advertising or sponsorship, and no one outside the team reviews or approves what we publish.
How we work
Where our information comes from, what the three labels mean and how we fix mistakes are set out on our sources and methods page.
Get in touch
Found an error, or know a source we should read? Write to support@plagueprimer.com. We read every message; corrections appear on the page itself.