Rubio Calls for Russia Transparency on Lab Worker’s Death
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges Russia to share more information on the death of a plague researcher in Siberia.
2 min read
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Russia to be more transparent about the death of a 28-year-old anti-plague lab worker in Siberia, Daria Shipilova, who died of pneumonia. The U.S. government is closely monitoring the situation as reports about her death continue to evolve.
Rubio made the remarks during a news conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he was holding talks with Icelandic officials. He emphasized that Russia should provide more information to the world, stating, “It’s incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world. That’s what they should do, that’s what we hope they will do. The more we can learn about what happened, the better all of us can be in a position of responding.”
Other State Department officials have also urged Russia to provide accurate and open information regarding Shipilova’s death. A State Department spokesman said, “Many details have not been confirmed. We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly.” The official added that the U.S. is aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast and is closely monitoring the situation with the CDC and other interagency partners.
Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s primary national health agency, initially denied reports that Shipilova had died of plague, stating she died from “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” However, the agency later confirmed that anti-plague measures were implemented at multiple health facilities following her death last week.
Rubio downplayed the situation, saying the death was a “cause for focus,” but not necessarily a cause for alarm. “So we’re watching and monitoring it closely,” he assured.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also said on Tuesday that the public health risk in Russia and Europe was considered low after the incident. The organization stated it was monitoring the situation and is ready to help Russian authorities if they seek assistance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is closely monitoring a reported infection at a laboratory in Russia. Rubio said a worker at the lab was reportedly infected and that officials were concerned about the possibility of the illness spreading internally. He said the… pic.twitter.com/RyembBYQyP
Source: OANN
