State Department Monitoring Potential Plague-Related Death in Russia
Marco Rubio said Washington is monitoring the case closely as Russian authorities quarantine hospitals and place contacts under observation.
- On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is monitoring reports of a potential plague death in Russia after an employee at Siberia's Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute was admitted to hospital on September 29th.
- Irkutsk region governor Igor Kobzev held an emergency meeting on October 2nd, launching anti-epidemic measures after lab worker Darya Shipilova died at a hospital in Shelekhov two days later from what Rospotrebnadzor described as pneumonia of unknown origin.
- Rospotrebnadzor tests failed to detect pathogens "connected with her work," while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged the public not to "listen to rumours about a plague outbreak" and to rely on official statements.
- Staff at the Irkutsk institute remained isolated inside the building, reportedly "sleeping on chairs," while employees at a local factory were ordered to wear face masks on October 3rd amid "contradictory information about plague."
- If confirmed, this would be Russia's first plague case since 2016, when a 10-year-old boy contracted the disease, though Rubio cautioned it was not "cause for alarm" and Washington urged authorities to share accurate information "quickly and openly.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Russian plague lab worker dies after reported test-tube accident — hospitals lock down and US starts watching - The Daily Bo Snerdley
BS BULLETIN: A 28-year-old employee of Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died after developing severe pneumonia of unknown origin. Russian reports claim she may have been exposed after a test tube containing plague bacteria broke, but authorities have not confirmed that account. Roughly 200 contacts are under medical observation, several hospitals have been quarantined, and U.S. officials say they are monitoring the situation. A my…
Today, the US has asked the Russian authorities to inform it quickly and transparently about a possible case of pneumonic plague that may have been the cause of the death of an investigator working in a laboratory in Siberia. We are aware of the news about a fatal case of alleged pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia. [...]
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