Worker at Siberian Plague Institute Dies of Unknown Pneumonia

Russian authorities have quarantined a hospital in Siberia after an employee at a plague research institute died from pneumonia of unknown cause, with unconfirmed reports suggesting pneumonic plague. The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute and died last week in Shelehov. Officials said extensive testing found no pathogens linked to her professional activities, and no incidents involving pathogenic microorganisms were uncovered at the institute. Contacts are under medical supervision, with two testing positive for a common cold virus and two for COVID-19. The hospital has stopped admitting and discharging patients, and its laboratory halted routine tests. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the public to follow official statements rather than rumors, while a local aluminum plant required staff to wear masks as a precaution.