Russian lab worker dies of suspected pneumonic plague in Siberia

A 28-year-old laboratory worker in Siberia has died following a suspected exposure to pneumonic plague, prompting quarantine measures at a Russian hospital and international monitoring of her contacts. The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute and died in a hospital in Shelekhov, which has been closed to new admissions. Russian authorities report no evidence linking her illness to pathogens at her workplace, while the World Health Organization assesses the risk outside Russia as "very low." The UK Health Security Agency is seeking further details through international channels, and US President Donald Trump said Washington is watching the case closely. Pneumonic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a severe lung-based form of the disease that can spread through respiratory particles.