Fears 'Russian plague' has hit China sweep social media as public urged to 'stockpile food'

Experts are warning that online scaremongering in China is fuelling fears around the supposed 'Russian plague' outbreak with locals urged to stockpile food and supplies

People in China are being urged to stockpile food and supplies over online fears that a suspected 'Russian Plague' outbreak could cause Covid-style lockdowns.

Residents across the country have reportedly been left scrambling for "rice, sugar, eggs, canned food and other daily necessities" after social media speculation suggested China could be overcome by the deadly disease, according to Chinese news channel FTV.

The concerns come after the death of a lab worker at a Russian anti-plague institute on October 2 caused a major quarantine response involving at least 200 people, sparking fears that the employee may have come in to contact with the highly contagious disease.

Officials in the city of Irkutsk have denied that Darya Shipilova, 28, died from the plague, instead describing its cause as being "pneumonia".

Despite this, concerns have grown around the globe that a form of the bubonic plague may be spreading, with some suggesting that officials may be downplaying the reality of the situation.

Unconfirmed reports have described Shipilova as having come into contact with the plague, with many suggesting she may have dropped a vial containing the infectious bacteria that causes the deadly disease.

Others have reported that she had recently returned from a research trip to Mongolia where she was working with potentially infected animals, although this too has not been verified.

The World Health Organisation are investigating the reported outbreak, although they stressed in a statement that as of yet they haven't found "evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event" but warned that “a laboratory-associated exposure" of the deadly plague-carrying bacteria "cannot be fully excluded at this stage.”

Despite the reports of plague remaining unconfirmed at this stage, the death of Darya Shipilova has sparked global concerns, including in neighbouring China.

A spokesperson for the foreign affairs thinktank CFA described a growing sense of anxiety online following the reports, with residents around the Russia-China and Russia-Mongolia borders said to be especially concerned.

Writing on X, Yanzhong Huang wrote: " Posts on Chinese social media have urged residents . . . to stockpile food and protective supplies, with some warning of possible future lockdowns. Separate anonymous claims circulating on X allege plague cases or deaths in Shanghai and Chongqing linked to recent Russia travel."