US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Monday that the United States is closely monitoring the situation following the death of a Russian laboratory worker linked to a suspected plague incident in Siberia.The 28-year-old worker, Darya Shipilova, died on October 2 at a regional hospital in Shelekhov—just two days after falling ill at work.
In response to her death from suspected pneumonic plague, Russian authorities quarantined the medical facility and placed nearly 200 people under health observation.Speaking prior to his departure for Europe, Rubio emphasized that US officials are actively assessing the risk of any potential containment breach while keeping the situation in perspective.
“We’re watching and monitoring it closely,” Rubio said. “I don’t think it’s cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause just to keep an eye on it.”
Referencing official reports released by Russian authorities, Rubio noted concerns regarding potential internal transmission following the initial exposure.
“There’s very limited travel between the US and Russia, obviously,” Rubio added. “But, like anything else, something like that gets out, it just quickly spreads.”
The facility where the incident occurred is part of Russia’s anti-plague institute system, which conducts research on high-consequence pathogens, including Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the plague.
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