The State Department has sent a formal diplomatic note to Russia requesting information about a possible outbreak at an anti-plague research laboratory in Siberia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the request during a trip to Iceland, stating the U.S. is monitoring the situation hour by hour. The plea follows the death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee of the Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk, who died of mysterious pneumonia in Shelkhov.
Russian authorities have quarantined part of the hospital, the institute's staff, and her contacts. On Oct. 4, the Russian public health regulator Rospotrebnadzor confirmed the employee died from pneumonia of unknown origin, stating lab tests ruled out organisms related to her professional work. The regulator reported 60 percent of those under observation have been monitored, with no plague detected so far, only two cases of Covid-19 and two of rhinovirus.
The lack of details has unnerved U.S. officials and others scarred by the Covid-19 pandemic. China, which maintains close exchanges with Russia on infectious disease, offered a muted response. The World Health Organization has requested further information to clarify the cause of death and the pathogen behind the public health measures.
President Trump offered assistance, but Russian officials say they have the situation under control.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing