Russia Denies Plague Measures After Worker's Death; US Seeks Transparency

Russian authorities denied imposing anti-plague measures following the reported death of a laboratory technician in Siberia, while the U.S. called for transparency regarding the situation.

The worker, identified as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, reportedly died of pneumonic plague after a possible lab accident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Russian officials stated that post-mortem tests did not detect the disease, with the Irkutsk Regional Governor asserting the woman died of pneumonia of undetermined origin and no microorganisms linked to her work were found.

The World Health Organization stated that Russia stressed no case of plague had been recorded in Irkutsk and that the public health risk was assessed as low for Russia and very low for Europe. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information, stating the U.S. was monitoring the situation closely. Reports indicated that up to 200 people who may have had contact with Shipilova were placed under observation or quarantine.

The WHO confirmed that Russian authorities identified contacts and were monitoring them, and that the illness initially presented as a typical acute respiratory viral infection.