Moscow’s secrecy about a suspected plague case follows a pattern from the Soviet era

Russia Disease Secrecy - (Copyright 1986 AP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Kremlin has long maintained a culture of secrecy when it comes to controlling public information, especially involving accidents -- from industrial disasters to health emergencies.

The suspicious death last week of a worker at a research lab in Siberia that has fueled global concerns about suspected pneumonic plague is just the latest example of how leaders in Moscow manage the official narrative that often covers up the truth for years.