Russia and world respond to lab worker's death as plague ruled out in Siberia

The World Health Organisation confirmed Wednesday that Russian authorities reported no cases of plague in Siberia, following the death of a laboratory worker from pneumonia. The WHO head stated the epidemiological situation is stable, with no plague case registered in the Irkutsk region. Investigations into the woman's death at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute revealed a typical acute respiratory viral infection, not pneumonic plague. Russian officials completed contact tracing with no dangerous pathogens found, while WHO assessed the risk as moderate-to-low for Irkutsk, low for Russia, and very low for the European region. US President Donald Trump said he was watching the situation with concern, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information. The case revived memories of COVID-19's origins, though experts noted plague bacteria spread poorly and remain treatable with antibiotics.