A lab worker’s death in Russia has raised fears of the plague after authorities said she died of pneumonia from an unknown origin.
The Story
A death of a laboratory worker in Russia has prompted fears about pneumonic plague, according to a discussion on The Big Story podcast published Oct. 9, 2026.
The episode says authorities have claimed the worker died of pneumonia from an unknown origin, but they have not yet released additional details about whether the case is connected to the laboratory where she worked.
The podcast discussion also references an undated photo released by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, showing institute workers in a laboratory.
In the episode, host Maria Kestane speaks with Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and Science Chair for the Save America movement, and is joined by Maria Popova, a political scientist from McGill University, to discuss what is known about pneumonic plague and the challenges of getting timely information during crises involving authoritarian countries.
The podcast episode is framed as an analysis of the situation, focusing on the information currently available and the difficulties that can arise when communications are limited.
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