US Closely Monitoring After Plague Lab Technician Dies in Siberia
The United States has announced it is closely monitoring the death of a woman who worked at an anti‑plague centre in Siberia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident could have exposed others to pneumonic plague, raising concern over a possible outbreak.
Russian officials reported that the woman, whose name was given as Daria, died of "pneumonia of undetermined etiology". Bio‑security experts said no microorganisms linked to her work were found in her biological samples. This finding came after unconfirmed reports that she might have broken a test tube containing Yersinia pestis or had a field trip to a wild‑rodent‑habited region of Buryatia.
No other staff at the Anti‑Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East reported illness, the governor of Irkutsk said, quoting health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. A biological safety team inspecting the institute found no emergency situation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged people to ignore rumours and rely on official statements.
Despite the presence of Yersinia pestis in rodents in the region, experts like Dr. Simon Clarke of the University of Reading note that the pneumonic form of the disease is almost always fatal if untreated, but can be cured with antibiotics. He warns that pneumonic plague can spread from person to person, yet stresses that the situation is under control and unlikely to trigger lockdowns.
The incident has sparked speculation that the pathogen might have been studied as a bio‑weapon. Clarke acknowledged the possibility but considered a natural outbreak more likely, citing Russia’s historical emphasis on bio‑security research.
Health authorities have placed nearly 200 people who had contact with the deceased under observation as a precautionary measure. The US remains focused on observing any potential spread of plague.
