The possible leak of a pathogen from a Russian laboratory in Siberia has caused global alarm. A 28-year-old employee of Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute died Friday of pneumonia. But while this incident appears contained, the fact that it took place in Russia is concerning in and of itself.

Led by a KGB cabal, the former Russian secret police, Russia embraces pathological deceptiveness on biological threats. The same applies to Russia’s work on chemical, nuclear, and space-based weapons. That makes anything plague-related in Russia, accidental or otherwise, a prima facie national security concern for the United States.