The US today demanded “quickly and transparently” information from the Russian authorities on a possible case of pneumonic plague that may have been the cause of the death of a researcher working in a laboratory in Siberia.
© Lusa
05/10/2026
by
Lusa
“ ANDwe are aware of the news about a fatal case of alleged pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia. We follow the situation closely, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our other interinstitutional partners,” said a spokesman from the State Department to the Europa Press agency.
However, the US authorities point out that few details on the case have been confirmed, which is why they encouraged Moscow to “share accurate information quickly and transparently.”.
“ Plague is a known disease and can be treated with common antibiotics, especially if treatment is initiated in time. Cases occur naturally in many parts of the world”, explained the same source.
The Russian authorities have already stated that the epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region “is stable” after the implementation of a series of emergency measures in recent days.
Due to the researcher’s profession, “comprehensive epidemiological measures” have been established to deal with the situation, including the “identification of as many people as possible who may have had contact with the scientist,” explained the Russian Federal Bureau of Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor).