US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding reports of a potential plague-related death at a Siberian research facility, as Washington urges Moscow to provide greater transparency surrounding the incident.
Russian authorities have downplayed the reports, denying any implementation of anti-plague measures following an event last week at an anti-plague institute in the Irkutsk region. However, concern continues to mount in Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on Russia to cooperate fully with international health protocols.
“We encourage Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world so that all of us could react accordingly and appropriately,” Rubio stated during a visit to Iceland. He emphasized that the US response would depend on the clarity and accuracy of information provided by Russian officials.
Trump confirmed that a phone call between himself and Putin is already scheduled. “I have a call scheduled, yes,” he told reporters outside the White House, adding that the conversation would take place “very soon.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US State Department has formally communicated its concerns to Moscow through a diplomatic channel, urging cooperation amid fears over non-compliance with international health regulations.
Cause of Death Still Under Investigation
Russian media initially reported that a 28-year-old laboratory technician, identified as Darya Shipilova, may have contracted pneumonic plague due to exposure from a broken test tube. Additional outlets speculated a connection to an accident at the facility.
People of Baikal, a regional news outlet, claimed that up to 200 individuals who may have come into contact with the deceased were placed under quarantine. Nevertheless, Russian health authorities maintain that the cause of death remains unconfirmed and have dismissed circulating documents alleging emergency measures.
“We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue,” the federal service for oversight of consumer rights protection and human welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) wrote on Telegram.
Russian officials noted that postmortem examinations did not detect signs of plague. Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev stated that a Rospotrebnadzor review concluded the woman died from pneumonia, with the exact cause listed as “undetermined.”
“No microorganisms associated with the young woman’s professional duties were detected in her biological samples,” Kobzev said, further noting that none of her colleagues at the institute have sought medical attention since her passing.
The World Health Organization confirmed receiving an update from Russian authorities on Tuesday, stating explicitly that “no case of this dangerous disease has been recorded in the city of [of Irkutsk].”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of timely and accurate reporting under the International Health Regulations. “Timely, complete and transparent information sharing is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks,” he wrote on X.
Russia’s official submission to the WHO outlined an ongoing epidemiological investigation into a case of community-acquired pneumonia involving an employee at the Irkutsk-based institute. The report indicated that contacts had been traced and arrangements made for monitoring and testing.
“Test results showed no presence of dangerous infectious disease pathogens in any of the contacts,” the WHO said in its summary of the Russian update.
‘Moderate to Low Risk’ – WHO Assessment
The United Nations health agency assessed the risk level for Irkutsk as “moderate to low,” based on current data, according to spokesman Christian Lindmeier speaking in Geneva. He added that the organization is closely monitoring developments related to the case.
Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, manifests in various forms—most notably bubonic and pneumonic types. While bubonic plague is typically spread via infected fleas, pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can be transmitted through airborne droplets, making it highly contagious.
The WHO warns that untreated pneumonic plague can lead to severe respiratory complications and be fatal without prompt antibiotic intervention.
Earlier, Trump expressed willingness to assist Russia should their health infrastructure require support. In a reciprocal gesture, Rospotrebnadzor offered help to the United States in managing domestic infectious disease challenges, citing deteriorating measles outbreaks in three American states and referencing a fatal plague case reported in New Mexico earlier this year.
The rise in measles cases has drawn scrutiny during the Trump administration, particularly given Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role as health secretary despite his historically vocal skepticism toward vaccines.
An upcoming international symposium on plague and other infectious diseases is set to convene in Irkutsk from October 21–22. Organizers stressed that the event was planned independently and bears no relation to the recent laboratory incident.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
