US Demands Clarity as Russia Disputes Fatal Plague Diagnosis in Siberia
The US State Department is monitoring a suspected fatal pneumonic plague case in Russia’s Irkutsk region and urging Moscow to provide accurate information. A 28-year-old lab worker, Daria Shipilova, died in early October after reportedly breaking a test tube containing Yersinia pestis bacteria. While local media and regional leaders confirm a plague diagnosis, Russian federal health authorities label the cause as 'pneumonia of unknown etiology.' Nearly 200 contacts are under medical observation, with no new cases reported.