Plague lab worker dies; US, Europe monitor Russia outbreak

A laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died suddenly of an unknown illness, according to Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's health and consumer protection agency. The worker was a woman in her late 20s, per the agency.

The institute studies the plague and other infectious diseases, according to Rospotrebnadzor. That detail has put the death squarely on the radar of international health officials.

A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. is "aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague" in Russia and is monitoring developments alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agency partners.

The cause of death is not confirmed. It is only "suspected pneumonic plague" according to reports.

European officials are watching too. European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said on Oct. 5: "We are aware of the reports concerning the laboratory incident in Russia, seemingly involving a pathogen-causing plague."

Hrncirova said the Commission is in touch with experts from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The dual alerts from Washington and Brussels underscore how a single unexplained death at a pathogen research facility can trigger international concern.

WHAT HAPPENED IN IRKUTSK

Russian authorities said on Oct. 4 that the situation in Irkutsk is stable after the death prompted local officials to impose a "special set of measures" to contain a dangerous infection. The exact cause of the woman's illness and death is not confirmed.

Rospotrebnadzor has described the illness that caused the woman's death as "pneumonia of unknown origin." The research institute at the center of the incident is located in the Siberian region of Irkutsk, roughly 150 miles from Russia's border with Mongolia.

The worker, a woman in her late 20s, was an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, which studies the plague and other infectious diseases, according to Rospotrebnadzor. Local officials said authorities have implemented "anti-epidemic measures" in the region to contain the infection.