WHO says Russia plague case poses low global risk

The World Health Organization assessed a possible pneumonic plague case in Russia as a "very low" risk outside the country, following the death of a lab employee in Siberia. Russian authorities are investigating the cause of death, with preventive measures and contact tracing reportedly completed. Russian health officials reported no dangerous pathogens found in the deceased woman's contacts, and the epidemiological situation is stable. WHO has mobilized technical experts to Geneva and Copenhagen, though Russia has not requested deployment. The institute where the woman worked studies plague, which occurs naturally in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the case, urging Russia for more transparency. Experts note plague is treatable with antibiotics and unlikely to spread widely, though the case has revived pandemic-era concerns about lab safety.