New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- Dozens have been put under quarantine as a precautionary measure after a laboratory worker at an institute in Siberia, Russia, that studies plague-causing bacteria died under unknown circumstances. The exact cause of her illness is still under investigation; however, rumours on social media have surfaced that she may have mistakenly released plague - a fatal bacterial infection that remains endemic in parts of the world. Russian authorities, however, have dismissed the claims.

The World Health Organisation said it was aware of reports that a laboratory worker in Irkutsk Oblast, in the Russian Federation, died of "severe pneumonia" on October 2, 2026, and that it had provided support to Russia.

"In accordance with Ar...