(../../images/icons/favicon-16x16.png) (../../images/icons/favicon-32x32.png) (../../images/icons/favicon-96x96.png) (https://www.dw.com/images/icons/favicon-120x120.png) (https://www.dw.com/images/icons/favicon-152x152.png) (https://www.dw.com/images/icons/favicon-167x167.png) (https://www.dw.com/images/icons/favicon-180x180.png) (https://commons.dw.com) (https://commons.dw.com) Russia denies anti-plague measures after pneumonia death (https://www.dw.com/en/russia-denies-anti-plague-measures-after-pneumonia-death/a-79567922) (https://static.dw.com) (https://static.dw.com) (../manifest.json) (https://amp.dw.com/en/russia-denies-anti-plague-measures-after-pneumonia-death/a-79567922) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_800.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_801.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_802.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_803.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_604.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_605.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_1003.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_1004.webp) (https://static.dw.com/image/79557246_1004.webp) (../../static/index-DEpkA5P0.css) (../../static/index-DEpkA5P0.css) You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. (a-79567922@maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf.html#main-content) Skip to content (a-79567922@maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf.html#navigation) Skip to main menu (a-79567922@maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf.html#footer) Skip to more DW sites (https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/s-9097) (dw.com home - Made for minds) (Open main navigation) (https://www.dw.com/en/latest-videos/st-62391524) Latest videos (https://www.dw.com/en/latest-audio/s-62391692) Latest audio Regions (https://www.dw.com/en/africa/s-12756) Africa (https://www.dw.com/en/asia/s-12758) Asia (https://www.dw.com/en/europe/s-1433) Europe (https://www.dw.com/en/latin-america/s-58267484) Latin America (https://www.dw.com/en/middle-east/s-14207) Middle East (https://www.dw.com/en/north-america/s-58267502) North America (https://www.dw.com/en/germany/s-1432) Germany Topics (https://www.dw.com/en/climate/s-59752983) Climate (https://www.dw.com/en/equality/s-58123578) Equality (https://www.dw.com/en/health/s-58123583) Health (https://www.dw.com/en/human-rights/s-58123589) Human Rights (https://www.dw.com/en/migration/s-58123652) Migration (https://www.dw.com/en/technology/s-58123656) Technology Categories (https://www.dw.com/en/business/s-1431) Business (https://www.dw.com/en/science/s-12526) Science (https://www.dw.com/en/environment/s-11798) Environment (https://www.dw.com/en/culture/s-1441) Culture (https://www.dw.com/en/sports/s-8171) Sports In focus (https://www.dw.com/en/israel/t-19067044) Israel (https://www.dw.com/en/nobel-prize/t-63331269) Nobel Prize (Show previous page) (Show next page) (https://www.dw.com/en/latest-audio/s-62391692) Latest audio (https://www.dw.com/en/latest-videos/st-62391524) Latest videos (https://www.dw.com/en/live-tv/channel-english) (Go to TV livestream - channel DW English) Live TV (https://www.dw.com/en/search/page-1) (Search DW) Advertisement (https://www.dw.com/en/health/s-58123583) Health (https://www.dw.com/en/russia/t-19065060) Russian Federation Russia denies anti-plague measures after pneumonia death (https://www.dw.com/en/felix-tamsut/person-35924406) Felix Tamsut with AFP, Reuters, AP 10/06/2026 October 6, 2026 The death of an employee at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk is still being looked into, the authorities said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Russia to be transparent about its findings. 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(Two scientists looking at an incubator at the anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region.) The woman who died worked at an anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk regionImage: The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement (https://www.dw.com/en/russia/t-19065060) Russia denied claims that it was imposing anti-plague measures following (https://www.dw.com/en/suspected-pneumonic-plague-in-siberia-what-we-know-about-the-disease/a-79547919) the death of a laboratory technician of pneumonic plague. The woman worked at the anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region. The authorities in Russia, however, said the cause of death is yet to be confirmed, and Moscow's health authority Rospotrebnadzor has denied claims the country had put special measures in place. Authorities deny reports of plague According to Rospotrebnadzor, the information "does not originate from official sources" and is "untrue," with Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev adding that the inspection had found that the woman's death was a result of pneumonia. "No microorganisms linked to the young woman's professional work were found in her biological samples," he said. Plague is a disease that can occur in several forms, including pneumonic plague, known to be the most contagious and potentially fatal if not treated early. Some reports in Russia suggested the woman could have caught the disease from a broken test tube, while others speculated on a potential link between her death and a lab accident at the institute. The woman may have come into contact with up to 200 people, all of whom are under quarantine, according to one report. (A view of Kuibyshevsky District in Irkutsk in early autumn) Irkutsk is at low risk, according to the World Health OrganizationImage: Kirill Kukhmar/TASS/picture alliance World Health Organization monitoring situation (https://www.dw.com/en/world-health-organization-who/t-38396203) The World Health Organization (WHO) said the information it had received from Russia suggests that "no case" of the disease has so far been recorded in Irkutsk. Russia has launched an epidemiological investigation into a case of pneumonia, labeled as "community acquired," in an employee at the Irkutsk Institute. "Test results showed no presence of dangerous infectious disease pathogens" in the people who came into contact with the person, the WHO said, adding that the agency estimates the risk to be "moderate to low" for Irkutsk. The WHO is still monitoring the situation closely, it said. US President (https://www.dw.com/en/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war/t-19434433) Donald Trump said he will discuss the case with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also said the US intelligence is in "very deep discussions" on the matter, while also calling the disease "rough." "That's a disease we used to be able to control, but somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and smarter. They’re like an army,” the US president told reporters at the (https://www.dw.com/en/white-house/t-38960583) White House . US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is monitoring the situation. According to Rubio, Russia needs to "share more information with the world." Editor: Sean Sinico Don't let the algorithm hide the news. 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