U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that the United States is closely monitoring the death of a technician at a Russian Siberian plague research center and is concerned that the incident could lead to the spread of pneumonic plague, but there is no need for panic at present. The governor of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast said that the deceased had been tested, and no work-related microbial transmission was found, nor had any other staff members shown symptoms. The Kremlin urged the public not to believe rumors and to rely on official statements from Russia's consumer health watchdog.