Alert issued over possible pneumonic plague in Siberia following death of worker

Nearly 200 people are under observation in the Irkutsk region of Siberia following the death of a technician who worked at the Anti-Plague Institute. Russian authorities have described the situation as stable, although the cause of the death has raised concerns in the international community.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio stated that the United States is closely monitoring the case of the deceased, who was employed at a laboratory focused on plague research. Authorities have denied that it is a laboratory accident, though questions remain about the nature of the death.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested additional information from Russia regarding the possible fatal case of pneumonic plague, while noting that it assesses the public health risk in the region as very low.

Meanwhile, Russia has denied claims about the imposition of health restrictions in Irkutsk, despite the worker's death. Dmitri Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, dismissed reports of a second death linked to the case as false.

The outbreak has sparked concerns in the U.S., which has urged its citizens to leave Russia immediately.