Russian lab worker dies of suspected plague in Siberia; US monitoring case

A Russian agency links the lab worker’s death to ‘pneumonia of unknown’ origin.Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026An employee of a Russian anti-plague institute in the remote Siberian region of Irkutsk has reportedly died of a suspected pneumonic plague infection, according to a United States official.“We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our other interagency partners,” a State Department official told Al JazeeraRecommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Russia’s nuclear plants are ageing. Who will pay to dismantle them?list 2 of 3Russia hits Kyiv bridge as Germany’s Merz visits Ukraine’s capitallist 3 of 3Ukraine ready for US-backed talks with Russia: Zelenskyyend of list“Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly,” the official said.Alexei Tsydenov, the governor of the Buryatia region, said in a post on his Telegram channel on October 3 that a woman in the neighbouring Irkutsk region had “died, maybe of the plague”.Russia’s official TASS news ...