Rubio says he doesn’t think death linked to Russian plague lab is cause for alarm

The U.S. says it is monitoring a situation in Russia after a woman who worked at a plague research institute died from an unknown cause after developing pneumonia.

The case has raised concerns following unconfirmed reports that the woman died from pneumonic plague. Russian officials, however, said they have found no evidence that her illness was linked to materials she worked with at the institute.

The woman reportedly died at a hospital in Siberia. Officials said the hospital has been placed under quarantine and is no longer accepting new patients.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that he does not think there is cause for alarm at this time.

It is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it, and were doing that, Rubio said.

The U.S. is encouraging Russia to share information about the case with international partners.

Travel between the U.S. and Russia has been limited since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The State Department currently lists Russia under a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Americans.