Rubio urges Russia to disclose more information on suspected plague death
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to provide more information about the death of a worker at a Siberian anti-plague institute amid reports that she was exposed to the bacteria that causes pneumonic plague in a laboratory accident.
“I think Russia obviously owes the world more information,” Rubio said on Oct. 6, according to Reuters.
He said the United States was monitoring the situation “very closely, hour by hour” and had capabilities that could help Russia if the incident proved more serious than currently understood.
Russian media reported that 27-year-old Daria Shipilova, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, broke a test tube containing the pathogen that causes pneumonic plague on Sept. 25.
She was hospitalized four days later with symptoms of severe pneumonia and died overnight on Oct. 2.
Russian authorities have not confirmed that Shipilova contracted plague and have reportedly described her cause of death as “pneumonia of unknown etiology.”
Quarantine measures were subsequently introduced at several locations in Irkutsk, while nearly 200 people who had been in contact with Shipilova were placed under medical observation.
Rubio said a day earlier that Washington was following the situation but did not believe there was currently cause for alarm.
President Donald Trump has also said the United States would offer Russia assistance if needed.
Plague is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection but can be treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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