Siberian plague institute worker dies of unknown pneumonia

A staff member at a plague research institute in Siberia contracted pneumonia of unknown cause, and local state TV reported she died last week, prompting quarantine measures and alarm in Russia. Russian authorities found no evidence her illness was caused by pathogens she worked with, but unconfirmed reports suggested pneumonic plague. The hospital in Shelekhov was quarantined, and all contacts were placed under medical supervision, with officials calling it a suspected "particularly dangerous infection." Rospotrebnadzor said extensive testing found no microorganisms linked to her work, while two contacts tested positive for a common cold virus and two for COVID-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the public to rely on official statements rather than rumors.