Rubio Says He Doesn’t Think Death Linked to Russian Plague Lab Is Cause for Alarm
- On Tuesday, U.S. officials confirmed they are closely monitoring a suspected pneumonic plague death in Russia's Irkutsk region, where a 28-year-old laboratory worker died last week from "pneumonia of unknown etiology."
- Darya Shipilova, a technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, fell ill on September 29 and died days later, prompting authorities to quarantine the Shelekhov hospital amid unconfirmed reports of a laboratory accident involving Yersinia pestis.
- Russian public health agency Rospotrebnadzor placed nearly 200 contacts under medical observation; officials deny any laboratory accident and state that testing detected "no microorganisms associated with the woman's professional activities" in her samples.
- Washington is watching the situation "very closely," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, urging transparency while the U.S. State Department noted that "many details have not been confirmed."
- Assessing the public health risk as low, the World Health Organization noted no wider outbreak has been confirmed; experts emphasize that prompt antibiotic treatment is effective for suspected plague cases.
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Trump to discuss with Putin over suspected plague case as US officials press Russia for answers
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he would have a word with Putin about the case "very soon. "Health authorities are investigating after the death of an employee at an anti-plague institute, which authorities attributed to pneumonia with an unknown cause," he said.
The US is pushing for information on the suspected case in Siberia. WHO is offering Russia assistance in clarifying the cause.
Siberia plague scare: Trump to speak with Putin as Moscow downplays fears; Kremlin asks Russians to avoid rumours
Trump plans to speak with Putin after a researcher’s death sparked a plague scare in Siberia. Russia has downplayed fears, while the US has sought more information. WHO says the possible pneumonic plague case poses a “very low” risk outside Russia.
The U.S. government has urged Russia to disclose more information regarding the suspected leak of the plague pathogen. It has also been revealed that the government is investigating research being conducted at the laboratory where the incident occurred. At a press conference held in Iceland on the 6th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "It is irresponsible to make mere speculations when we have not yet verified all the inf…
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