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Officials Monitor 200 Contacts After Worker’s Pneumonia Death

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 3:22 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

A worker at Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died of severe pneumonia on 2 October 2026.
U.S., Russian and WHO officials say about 200 contacts have been identified.
U.S., Russian and WHO officials are monitoring the identified contacts.
Russian authorities have not confirmed pneumonic plague caused the death or a laboratory accident.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the situation is not a cause for alarm.

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Story summary

A worker at Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died of severe pneumonia on 2 October 2026.
U.S., Russian and WHO officials say about 200 contacts have been identified.
U.S., Russian and WHO officials are monitoring the identified contacts.
Russian authorities have not confirmed pneumonic plague caused the death or a laboratory accident.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the situation is not a cause for alarm.