Rubio says reported Russian lab leak is a ’cause for focus’ but not ‘alarm’

Published October 5, 2026 3:04pm ET | Updated October 5, 2026 3:04pm ET



Secretary of State Marco Rubio is keeping an eye on reports of a plague escaping a lab in Russia, but he said Americans ought not to panic.

Speaking to the press on Monday before departing for Iceland, Rubio was asked for comment on reports that a Russian lab worker died Friday following suspicious circumstances at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia.

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