US monitoring suspected fatal pneumonic plague case linked to Russian lab

The U.S. State Department is monitoring a reportedly fatal case of “pneumonia of an unknown etiology” linked to a plague research laboratory in Russia, ABC News reports.

“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 and our other interagency partners,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding that “many details have not been confirmed” and urging Russian authorities to share accurate information.

Health authorities in Russia’s Irkutsk region launched anti-epidemic measures after an employee of the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, southern Siberia, was diagnosed with the illness, the country’s sanitary watchdog agency, Rospotrebnadzor, confirmed Sunday.

The agency said “no accidents have been detected” at the institute and described the region’s epidemiological situation as “stable,” though it did not provide further details on the worker.

Regional governor Igor Kobzev said contacts of the affected resident had been placed under medical observation, but later clarified that “no microorganisms associated with the woman’s professional activities were found in her biomaterials,” noting that no other lab workers had sought medical help and all identified contacts had tested negative.

The CDC said it was “monitoring the situation closely” alongside the State Department, stressing that “the safety and security of U.S. citizens is our highest priority,” while noting that plague is treatable with common antibiotics, especially when caught early.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. was willing to assist Russia if needed, telling reporters Monday that his administration was “looking at it very strongly.”