US Urges Russia to Share More Information on Siberian Plague Death

The United States is closely monitoring the death of a 28-year-old lab worker at a Siberian plague research center and has urged Russia to share more information, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Washington is watching "hour by hour." Russian officials say the cause of death is under investigation, and all contacts have tested negative for pneumonic plague, though reports indicate nearly 200 people were placed under observation. Rubio stated the US has measures available to help if the situation proves more serious than Moscow has indicated. Russia's health watchdog said the woman died of "pneumonia of an undetermined etiology" and denied any plague cases in Irkutsk, while also offering assistance to the US. The disease, caused by Yersinia pestis, is nearly always fatal if untreated but can be treated with antibiotics.