Overview
- Regional governor Alexeij Zydenow publicly said the woman died of plague and local outlets identified her as a 28-year-old lab technician linked to the Irkutsk plague institute.
- Local reports say about 200 people who had contact with the woman are under quarantine or medical observation and some nearby facilities recommended masks for employees.
- Accounts that the infection came from a broken test tube or from a work trip are unconfirmed and Russian federal health authorities have not issued a public confirmation of the cause.
- The U.S. government says it is watching the situation and reviewing options while a Russian epidemiologist told state media it is 'highly likely' not to be plague.
- Pneumonic plague is a fast-moving lung infection caused by Yersinia pestis that can be deadly without prompt antibiotics and Russia last reported a similar Siberian case in 2016.