The US asks Russia to share information “quickly and transparently” after an alleged case of plague in Irkutsk

The US State Department on Monday urged Russian authorities to share information “quickly and transparently” about the case of suspected pulmonary plague in the Irkutsk region, following the death of a researcher in an alleged laboratory accident in Shelekhov.

“We are aware of news about a fatal case of suspected pulmonary plague in the Irkutsk region, in Russia. We are closely monitoring the situation together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the rest of our interagency partners,” a State Department spokesperson stressed to Europa Press.

Despite everything, the US authorities have stressed that not many details regarding the case have been confirmed, which is why they have encouraged Moscow to “share accurate information quickly and transparently.”

“Plague is a known disease and can be treated with common antibiotics, especially if treatment is started in time. Cases occur naturally in many parts of the world,” he explained.

Russian authorities have assured that the epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region is “stable”, after activating a series of emergency measures in recent days due to the death of a researcher in an alleged laboratory accident in Shelekhov.

Moscow has stated that measures are already underway in response to the event, recorded on Friday at the Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia and the Far East. Due to the deceased’s profession, “comprehensive epidemic measures” were established to address the situation, including “identifying the widest possible circle of people who had been in contact with the patient,” explained the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare of Russia (Rospotrebnadzor).