U.S. monitoring suspected plague case in Russia

Russia's government is downplaying worries over a potential lab accident that may have led to the death of a scientist in Siberia, claiming the state health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, is the lead agency with expertise in this area. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to trust official information from experts. The deceased researcher, Darya Shipilova, aged 28, was reportedly identified by Russian sources as working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute, 2,500 miles east of Moscow.

Initial reports claimed Shipilova broke a test tube containing plague bacteria in late September, contracted severe pneumonia, and died on October 1. The plague bacterium, yersinia pestis, is responsible for the Black Death that killed 25-50 million people in the mid-1300s. Shipilova is believed to have died from pneumonic plague, which can be transmitted from person to person and is fatal if untreated.

Russian officials, including the head of Buryatia, initially attributed her death to the plague but later walked back their statements. Rospotrebnadzor reported anti-epidemic measures, testing nearly 200 people who had contact with Shipilova, but no dangerous pathogens were found. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the reports, stating there was no cause for alarm, only for focus, and that very limited travel between the U.S. and Russia makes it unlikely the situation would spread.