NEW: CDC Issues Update On Plague Outbreak– trendingpoliticsnews.com

The CDC is monitoring a suspected plague death at a Russian research institute after reports that nearly 200 people who had contact with a laboratory technician were placed under medical observation.

The woman worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia. Russian authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause of her death, and how she may have become infected remains unclear.

Russian health officials said Tuesday that no plague cases had been detected among her contacts, Reuters reported. The reported monitoring of nearly 200 people does not establish that they were exposed to plague.

U.S. officials are tracking the case, though the CDC said there is no indication of a broader threat to Americans.

“CDC is aware of and closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia that resulted in a death. We are working across the U.S. government to assess developments as additional information becomes available,” the agency wrote on X.

The State Department also said it was following the reports.

“We are aware of reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia,” an official with the State Department told NewsNation. “We are monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and our other interagency partners.”