Russia Denies Plague Cases to WHO Following Siberian Lab Worker's Death as Marco Rubio Demands Answers

Russian authorities assured the World Health Organisation on Tuesday that no cases of plague exist in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, following the death of a laboratory worker at a local plague research institute last week.

Previously, Moscow informed the WHO that officials were investigating whether pneumonic plague caused the fatality. Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the UN health agency, read an official response from Russian authorities during a Geneva press briefing, stating, “No case of this dangerous disease has been recorded in the city of Irkutsk.”

Additionally, Russian authorities reported to the WHO that they successfully identified individuals who had contact with the deceased laboratory worker and confirmed that test results for dangerous infectious pathogens returned negative.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to provide greater transparency regarding the laboratory worker's death. Speaking to reporters in Iceland, Mr Rubio stated, “I think it's incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world,” adding that they are “watching it very closely, hour by hour.”

Mr Rubio noted that the US possesses “measures” to assist Russia if the situation proves more serious than currently acknowledged, though more information is required before intervention. On Monday, President Donald Trump also offered US assistance, describing the situation as a “big problem for Russia.”

Previously, the WHO stated that the risk of plague to the general public remains low.