Marco Rubio says "there was a worker at the lab that was infected" in Russia plague probe

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the United States is tracking Russia’s investigation into the death of a 28-year-old employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, who died last week from pneumonia. Russian authorities quarantined a hospital and placed many people under medical observation while they look into whether pneumonic plague was involved; that possibility has not been confirmed, and Russian health officials say testing has not linked her illness to workplace pathogens, though the cause remains undisclosed. The World Health Organization said the risk outside Russia is very low and that it is in contact with Russian authorities. Rubio cited Russian disclosures indicating an institute staff member had been sickened and concern about possible internal spread, and he urged Moscow to provide more information.