Russia tells WHO no plague in Irkutsk; lab worker's death cause still unknown

Russia informed the World Health Organization on Tuesday that no plague cases have been confirmed in Irkutsk, though the cause of death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker remains unknown. The WHO stated Russia reported no plague outbreak in the region. The woman, Daria Shipilova, worked at a plague research institute in the Irkutsk region and died in a hospital. Russian authorities are conducting laboratory tests to determine if pneumonic plague caused her death. Among her contacts, no plague cases were found, though two tested positive for COVID-19 and two for rhinovirus. About 60% of roughly 200 quarantined contacts have been released. Local residents report calm conditions, with masks worn briefly as a precaution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to release more information, while President Donald Trump called the situation a major problem for Russia.