The United States is closely watching a suspected pneumonic plague incident in Siberia after a Russian laboratory technician named Daria died under mysterious circumstances. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government was monitoring the situation, expressing concern that the incident could have led to an outbreak but saying there is no cause for alarm.
Irkutsk’s governor reported that the laboratory worker’s death was attributed to “pneumonia of undetermined etiology” and that no microbes linked to her work were detected in her samples. Unconfirmed reports suggested she may have been exposed while breaking a test tube or during a field trip to the Buryatia region, where plague-carrying rodents are found.
Official investigations have found no emergency situation at the Anti‑Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East. Rospotrebnadzor confirmed that no staff apart from Daria had sought medical care since the incident, and the Kremlin’s spokesman urged the public to rely on official statements rather than rumours.
Despite the lack of evidence of a wider outbreak, around 200 people who may have had contact with the deceased are under medical observation. A scientific expert highlighted that pneumonic plague can transmit person‑to‑person, making early detection crucial, yet it remains treatable with antibiotics.
The case raises questions about the potential for the plague bacteria to be used as a bioweapon, but experts argue that the more likely explanation is accidental exposure during routine research.
