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

An 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 Jazeera “Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly,” the official said.