Secretary of State Marco Rubio is keeping an eye on reports of a plague escaping a lab in Russia, but he said Americans ought not to panic.
Speaking to the press on Monday before departing for Iceland, Rubio was asked for comment on reports that a Russian lab worker died Friday following suspicious circumstances at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia.
“There’s very limited travel between the U.S. and Russia, obviously — but like anything else, something like that gets out, it could quickly spread,” Rubio acknowledged.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before boarding a plane, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Iceland. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before boarding a plane, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Iceland. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
“We’re watching and monitoring it closely,” he continued. “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it. And we’re doing that.”
Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old worker at the institute, died at a Siberian hospital on the night of Oct. 1-2, just a few days after she was admitted with symptoms of pneumonia.
Alexei Tsydenov, governor of the neighboring Buyatia region, said on Saturday that Shipilova had “died, maybe of the [pneumonic] plague.”
The pnuemonic plague is a severe illness caused by bacteria, sometimes found in animals and insects. It’s a highly infectious condition and can be fatal if not treated. It is endemic to the Siberian wilderness, where local wildlife carries the bacteria. But cases of human infection are rare.
Russian state media has confirmed the death and the broader health scare, but maintain that the situation is stable and under control.
Consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor acknowledged the worker died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology” and that all close contacts have been put under controlled observation to avoid a wider contamination. This report was cited by the government-affiliated outlet Interfax, which emphasized that no other cases of infectious disease have been reported.
Irkutsk region Gov. Igor Kobzev announced Monday that those quarantined could be released as early as next week.
This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab. (The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East via AP) ADDITION: adding photo was released in 2019
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This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab. (The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East via AP) ADDITION: adding photo was released in 2019
“The sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and the Shelekhov district is currently stable,” Kobzev said. “The situation remains under our control and under the control of the experts.”
“All identified contact persons have been placed under medical observation,” he added. “As of today, the contacts show no signs of illness, and their laboratory test results are negative.”
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The Kremlin is instructing the public to defer to Rospotrebnadzor regarding the health concerns, cautioning against “rumors and speculation.”
“Professionals from Rospotrebnadzor are handling the situation with the infection in the Irkutsk region; this falls within their area of expertise,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
