Key facts
- US Senator Marco Rubio stated the US is closely monitoring a case in Russia.
- A researcher at a Siberian plague research center died.
- The official cause of death was listed as pneumonia.
- Russian authorities found no emergency situation at the research institute.
- The deceased researcher had recently visited the Buryatia region.
The US is closely monitoring the situation in Russia following the death of a researcher at a plague research center in Siberia, according to US Senator Marco Rubio. While expressing concern about the potential spread of pneumonic plague, Rubio stated there was no immediate cause for alarm but that the situation warranted close attention.
Irkutsk's governor, Igor Kobzev, announced the cause of death as "pneumonia of undetermined etiology" and stated that "no micro-organisms" linked to the woman's work had been found in her biological samples. Unconfirmed reports had suggested the woman fell ill after breaking a test tube containing the pathogen or following a field trip to a region where plague is naturally found.