US closely monitors suspected plague death in Siberia

The White House is closely monitoring a suspected plague death in Siberia, according to reports citing US officials. A 28-year-old lab worker in the Irkutsk region reportedly died of pneumonic plague, with around 200 contacts under medical observation. The US government is paying close attention because pneumonic plague can spread from person to person. The case has drawn parallels to the 2020 Covid outbreak due to a lack of confirmed facts, and the CDC would classify an outbreak as a medical emergency. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of death, and no further infections have been reported. The source of infection remains unclear, with an unconfirmed media report suggesting a lab accident involving a broken test tube.