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Conflicting information about the death of a lab worker at a Russian plague research institute has fueled fears about the possibility of pneumonic plague spreading.

Nearly 200 people are in quarantine in Siberia after 28-year-old Darya Shipilova fell ill at work and later died on Oct. 2.

The exact circumstances of her death are unknown. A senior Russian official posted on social media last week that Shipilova "had died from the plague"—before editing the post to add "possibly." Russia's health watchdog has since stated she died from "pneumonia of unknown etiology."

Local media reports suggested she was infected following an accident at the lab where she worked, the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. But these reports have not been confirmed.

So, what is plague, and how does it spread? Should we be worried?

Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The bacteria generally live in ground-dwelling rodents such as rats and prairie dogs but can also infect humans.

The same Y. pestis bacteria can cause three different types of plague.

Bubonic plague is spread from animals to humans by fleas and causes swelling (called buboes) in the lymph nodes. Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness.

Bubonic plague can kill within a few days if antibiotics are not used. Between 30% and 60% of people who contract this form of plague will die.

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