US demands more plague outbreak details from Russia in Irkutsk

The United States is demanding Russia provide more information about a suspected plague outbreak in Irkutsk, citing concerns over the epidemiological situation in the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a visit to Reykjavik that Russia should share more details with the world about the suspected case, adding that Washington is closely monitoring the events and could offer assistance if the situation proves more serious than acknowledged. The incident involves Daria Shipilova, a researcher at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, who broke a test tube containing pneumonic plague pathogen on September 25 and died on October 2. Russian authorities have quarantined medical facilities and monitored around 200 contacts, reporting no confirmed cases.