Plague researcher dies from unknown infection in Siberia

A laboratory worker researching plague in Siberia has died from an "unknown infection," prompting nearly 200 people to be hospitalized for monitoring. The incident has raised fears of a potential outbreak. The woman died last week in Shelekhov near Irkutsk. Governor Igor Kobzev stated she was infected with a "particularly dangerous infection." Several hospitals in the city have been placed under quarantine following the revelation that she worked at Irkutsk's anti-plague institute. Local residents are demanding explanations and buying antibiotics, with some wearing masks and gloves in public. Russia's federal health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, maintains that the "situation is stable."