US monitors possible plague outbreak in Russia, sees no cause for alarm

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington is closely monitoring a possible pneumonic plague outbreak in Russia, though he stated the situation is "not a cause for alarm." Rubio told reporters before a trip to Iceland, Portugal, and Greece that the disease could spread quickly, warranting attention and surveillance. He noted travel between Russia and the U.S. is very limited, reducing risk, and that information comes from Russian authorities reporting a possibly infected laboratory worker with quarantines imposed. The U.S. issued a Sunday alert about a suspected outbreak in Siberia's Irkutsk region after a woman's death, while Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor urged calm. Independent outlet Meduza reported a 28-year-old institute employee died, and several hospitals in Irkutsk have been quarantined.