US seeks more details from Russia on suspected plague outbreak in Irkutsk
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
The situation in Russia’s Irkutsk region, where there may have been a plague outbreak, is raising concerns in the US. Washington is demanding more information from Russian authorities about the epidemiological situation in the region, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to Reykjavik.
Rubio demands information from Russia on plague
Rubio said Russia should apparently share more information with the world about the suspected plague outbreak in Irkutsk.
"That's what they should do. That's what we hope they will do," Rubio said.
He said the US is closely monitoring the situation and may be able to help.
"We already have measures in place to be able to address it if it is something more serious than what so far has been acknowledged," the diplomat said.
The US secretary of state called on Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world. This is necessary so that everyone can "respond accordingly and appropriately," he said.
Events in Irkutsk
On September 25, it became known that Darya Shipilova, an employee of the Research Institute for Plague Control in Russia's Irkutsk region, broke a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen.
On September 29, the woman was hospitalized with symptoms of severe pneumonia. She died on the night of October 2.
Following her death, authorities imposed quarantine at several medical facilities in the region. About 200 people who had been in contact with Shipilova were placed under medical observation.
However, Russian authorities say that no one has shown signs of plague and that test results have been negative.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that, according to Rubio, Washington currently has official Russian data on the suspected plague outbreak. According to that information, an employee of one of the laboratories was infected.
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