United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio don call on Russia to release more information about the death of one lab worker for a plague research centre inside Siberia. The matter don cause plenty speculation about how the 28-year-old woman take die. Russian officials talk say dem still dey investigate wetin cause the death, but everybody wey come in contact with the victim test negative for pneumonic plague.
Rubio tell reporters say e dey incumbent on Russia to share more information with the world. He talk say, We dey watch am very closely, hour by hour. Reports first show on Friday say almost 200 people dey under observation for Siberia Irkutsk region after the death.
The lab worker, wey Russian media name as Darya Shipilova, reportedly fall ill a couple of days before. Unconfirmed reports suggest say she become ill after she break test tube wey carry the pathogen or after field trip to region where plague dey naturally among wild rodents. But Russian officials don play down those reports.
The country health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor talk say the woman die of pneumonia of an undetermined etiology. For statement wey World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier read on Tuesday, Russia talk say no case of this dangerous disease don record for Irkutsk city. Russia get duty under global health rules to report outbreaks to WHO.
The statement add say all the patients contacts don identify and dem dey monitor for illness, and none to date show symptoms of illness. On Tuesday, the ongoing speculation cause back and forth between Russia and United States, with questions about possible spread outside Russia.
Speaking during trip to Iceland, Marco Rubio talk say US get measures to help Russia if the situation turn out more serious than claimed. Rospotrebnadzor fire back with offer of help to United States. The Russian Federation talk say dem ready to assist US in combating infectious disease outbreaks.
Rubio comments echo by US President Donald Trump, wey talk say he dey look very strongly at the case. According to Washington Post, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state department, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response dey work on US response.
Dem ask Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov about the death after Rubio remarks, and e cite findings by Rospotrebnadzor. Dem ask am about offer of help from United States, and e talk say na good thing when mutual assistance dey offered.
Also on Tuesday, Rospotrebnadzor issue statement to quell speculation about document wey circulate online about special anti-plague measures allegedly put in place. Dem talk for Telegram say the document and information no come from official sources and dem no be true.
The plague bacterium or Yersinia pestis kill up to half the population of Europe for 14th Century when dem know am as Black Death. Dem find am among rodents like marmots for the area. Na response to outbreak for 1920s dem found Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East just more than 100 years ago.
Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology for University of Reading, tell BBC Radio 4 PM programme say the pneumonic version of Yersinia pestis nearly always fatal if dem no treat am, but antibiotics fit overcome am. He talk say pneumonic plague fit transmit from person to person and that na why concern dey around this.
He add say people thought with any outbreak of infectious disease dey run to lockdowns and Covid and that no be wetin go happen here. Clarke talk say people think say oh the plague don gone, say e went hundreds of years ago, but e never gone. He talk say e dey threat to human health and that na why dem need to study am.
