US 'watching closely' after plague researcher dies in Russia
President Donald Trump said the United States was examining the death of a technician at a plague research facility in Siberia. He said he had not raised the matter with the Kremlin.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said the cause was recorded as pneumonia of unknown origin. He reported that tests detected no microbes connected to the woman’s work in her samples.
Kobzev, citing Russia’s consumer and health watchdog, said no other institute staff had sought medical care since the death. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the public to rely on official health statements rather than rumours.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was concern the infection might have spread within the facility and referred to quarantine measures. The woman, identified by Russian media as Daria and in her late twenties, had recently travelled to Buryatia, near Mongolia.
The institute was established after a plague outbreak in the 1920s. Pneumonic plague can pass between people, making possible transmission a concern; the article does not report any confirmed cases beyond the worker.
Key points
- Trump said the US is examining the case but has not discussed it with Moscow.
- Russian officials said tests found no work-related microbes and no other staff had sought care.
- The woman had recently visited Buryatia; officials have not reported further cases.