Pneumonic plague: US urges citizens to leave Russia 'immediately'

The case gained international attention after the death of an employee at a plague research center in Siberia. According to Russian authorities, tests carried out on the woman did not detect signs of the disease, and the situation is "under control".

In the alert, the American representation stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and that there are quarantine measures in the region where the death occurred. The statement, however, does not confirm that the death was caused by pneumonic plague and treats the episode as a suspected case.

The Embassy also stated that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in Russia, particularly outside of Moscow.

According to the statement, US government officials may face additional restrictions on personal and official travel to certain Russian regions due to health and safety concerns.

The US State Department has also kept Russia on the highest travel alert level, classified as "Level 4: Do not travel."

The warning cites, in addition to health concerns, the risk of improper detention of American citizens in Russia.