The United States is watching a case involving a laboratory worker who died at a plague research institute in Siberia, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He stated that while there is no reason to panic, it is important to stay focused on the situation. The worker, a 28-year-old at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, became ill and died under unclear circumstances, leading to the quarantine of several people. Reports vary on how she became sick, but officials claimed she died from pneumonia.
Rubio mentioned concerns that the disease might have spread within the lab. He noted that travel between the U.S. and Russia is limited, but any outbreak can spread quickly. Plague is common in Siberia, where the bacteria Yersinia pestis exists in wild animals and their fleas. Although it is rare for Russians to contract the disease, it is reported annually in other regions, especially Africa.
With information from Reuters
