The worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute died on Oct. 2 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Reports that she contracted pneumonic plague after accidental laboratory exposure remain unconfirmed. Russian authorities told the WHO that no plague case had recently been registered in the region, no high-threat pathogens had been detected among identified contacts and medical observation of all contacts had ended.
The WHO has offered technical support and is seeking the cause of the pneumonia and the pathogen that prompted preventive measures. The US has sent Moscow a formal diplomatic request for more information. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was “incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world,” while the CDC said there was no indication of a broader threat to the US.