US to formally press Russia on Siberia plague lab death

U.S. officials have warned Moscow that by sharing so little about the death of a lab worker at a Siberian plague research institute, it is falling short of its international health obligations. American authorities say Russia has disclosed almost nothing about the case, which has raised concern that an infectious disease could spread inside Russia and beyond its borders, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the warning.wsj

The Trump administration is now preparing a formal diplomatic message to Russia. According to The Washington Post, it will ask for more information about the death and about the quarantines that followed. The facility studies pneumonic plague.washingtonpost

Washington's response

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the outbreak is a "big problem for Russia" and promised U.S. help. "We'll help," he said. "Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we're always will to help," Reuters reported. Trump said he had not yet spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the matter, according to Forbes.forbes+1

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was watching the situation closely. "I don't think this is a cause for alarm, but it is a cause for attention," he said, adding that if such an outbreak "gets out of control, it can spread quickly". Rubio later said Russia must provide more information about the death.fakti

What Russia says

The worker was a 28-year-old lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, according to the independent regional outlet Liudi Baikala. The outlet reported that nearly 200 people were put under medical observation after she died. It also reported that she may have broken a test tube containing the plague pathogen, a claim Russian officials have not confirmed.forbes

Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that an inspection by Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer health watchdog, found she died of pneumonia but that the exact cause has not been determined. He said postmortem tests found no microorganisms linked to her lab work. Testing of her contacts turned up two COVID-19 cases and two rhinovirus infections. It is unclear whether either was connected to her death.thediplomaticinsight+1

On Tuesday, Rospotrebnadzor said a document circulating online that claimed special anti-plague measures had been imposed was "untrue." "No such decisions have been made at this time," the agency said.thediplomaticinsight

WHO assessment

World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the agency is in contact with Russian health authorities. He said that, based on "unofficial information," the risk to the general public appears low. Everyone who had contact with the woman has been identified and placed under health surveillance, and none has shown symptoms so far. The WHO rated the risk "moderate to low" for the Irkutsk region, low for Russia as a whole and very low for the rest of Europe.forbes+1

An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases is scheduled to take place in Irkutsk on Oct. 21–22. Organizers said it was planned in June and has nothing to do with the death.thediplomaticinsight