U.S. Embassy Urges Citizens to Leave Russia Over Siberian Plague Suspicions

Oct. 7, 2026 A car drives past a sign in Shelekhov in Russia's Irkutsk region. REUTERS / Stringer The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert on Tuesday over the death of a plague lab worker in the Irkutsk region, urging Americans to leave Russia and those in the affected area to follow local health guidance. The death of an Irkutsk anti-plague institute employee last week has fueled fears of a possible outbreak, though authorities have not publicly confirmed that she had the disease. U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information, while President Donald Trump said he planned to address the matter in a call with President Vladimir Putin. “U.S. citizens in the area should follow the guidance of local health authorities, avoid affected facilities, and seek medical care promptly if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms,” the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a statement. It emphasized that the U.S. government has “limited ability to help U.S. citizens in Russia, especially outside of Moscow,” citing reports of hospital quarantines following the death. The embassy reiterated that U.S. citizens are advised to depart Russia and not travel due to security concerns. The U.S. State Department’s Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Russia has been in place since January 2022, on the eve of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The State Department has sent a formal diplomatic demarche to the Russian government requesting clarification, a source close to the matter told AFP. The World Health Organization said no cases have been recorded within Irkutsk, but Director-General Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for “timely, complete and transparent information sharing.” Russian authorities have denied any active public health crisis, insisting the situation is under control. The Kremlin urged the public to ignore online rumors and rely only on updates from Russia’s consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. In response to Trump’s offers of assistance, Rospotrebnadzor offered to aid the U.S. with its own domestic health challenges, citing rising measles cases and a “fatal case of plague” recorded in New Mexico in June. AFP contributed reporting. Read more about: Irkutsk , United States Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more U.S. Accuses Iran of Sending Ballistic Missiles to Russia Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington and its allies would impose new sanctions on Tehran for defying its warnings. 2 Min read U.S. Urges Big Tech to Boost Anti-Censorship Tools for Russians – Reuters U.S. government-backed Open Technology Fund has been financing several American firms to offer free virtual private networks to Russians. 1 Min read opinion Ruth Deyermond Resetting U.S.-Russia Relations Would Be a Mistake Envisaging a future reset with Russia is not pragmatism. It is wishful thinking. 5 Min read Russian Media Blames U.S. Diplomat for Embassy Incident, Despite Video ADD CORRECT TEXT