Russia Says No Plague Risk After Lab Worker Dies in Siberia

Russia said Monday the health situation in Siberia's Irkutsk region remains stable after a worker at an anti-plague research institute died, raising concerns about a possible plague infection. The 28-year-old woman died two days after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Russian authorities found no evidence of plague or other dangerous infections linked to her work, with Rospotrebnadzor diagnosing "pneumonia of unknown etiology." Around 200 contacts were placed under medical observation, with tests finding only two Covid-19 cases and two rhinovirus cases. The US is monitoring the situation. The woman worked at a facility handling dangerous pathogens, and initial reports suggested she may have broken a test tube with live bacteria, though a commission found no safety breach. Pneumonic plague fears arose from her workplace, but no confirmed evidence links her death to the disease.