In Other News · United States · Markets

Source: Axios

Two big unknowns stand in the way of determining how serious the plague threat in Russia is and whether travel advisories, restrictions at U.S. ports of entry or other precautions are warranted. We still don't know which pathogen killed a Russian researcher, or how well contained it is.Why it matters: Though public health experts say there's no cause for Americans to panic, the episode serves as a wake-up call emphasizing the nature of global biological threats and the need for pandemic preparedness.State of play: A worker at the Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East recently died after contracting pneumonia. There are conflicting accounts of how she got sick and whether she was infected with pneumonic plague, which is almost always deadly without prompt treatment with antibiotics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the administration is closely monitoring the situation, adding, "I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on. And we're doing that."If a response is required, "the playbook for these instances is very well defined," David Mansdoerfer, a former health official in the first Trump administration, told Axios."Traditionally, the precautionary measures...