'Very soon': Trump, Putin set to talk as suspected pneumonic plague raises US concerns in Russia

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Tuesday, October 6, announced that he had a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin as US officials examined the death of a 28-year-old laboratory technician in Siberia.

Trump said the two leaders would speak “very soon” and indicated that the US government could provide more information about the situation as early as Wednesday, October 7. The death has sparked concerns over possible pneumonic plague exposure linked to a research facility near Irkutsk. 

Trump addresses suspected plague concerns in Russia

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said US officials were already discussing the matter as questions continued to surround the circumstances of the death. When asked what US intelligence agencies had notified him about, Trump said he had a call scheduled with Putin "very soon" and that “we are in very deep discussions. We will be able to report about it probably tomorrow.

Daria Shipilova, a technician at the Anti-Plague Research Institute near Irkutsk, died on Friday, October 2, at a hospital outside the Siberian city after being diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Reports have said that Shipilova had accidentally broken a test tube containing a deadly pathogen days before her death and may have contracted pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague can spread from person to person through respiratory transmission and is almost always fatal without prompt antibiotic treatment. The circumstances surrounding Shipilova’s illness and the pathogen involved have not been publicly established.

The case has also drawn comparisons to concerns surrounding laboratory exposure and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian officials have sought to ease concerns as speculation surrounding Shipilova’s death has grown.

US Embassy issues Russia travel warning amid plague concerns

The US Embassy in Moscow on Tuesday, October 6, also issued a health alert warning Americans in Russia about reports of suspected pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region and associated quarantine measures and hospital closures.

The embassy said it was monitoring the situation while warning that the US government could face significant limitations in assisting Americans, particularly those outside Moscow. “The US government has limited ability to help US citizens in Russia, especially outside of Moscow," the diplomatic post said.

The embassy also reiterated the State Department’s Level 4 travel advisory for Russia, which was already in effect because of security concerns and risks of wrongful detention. Americans currently in Russia are advised to depart, while those planning travel were again strongly advised against going.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, October 5, said that Shipilova’s death was “cause for focus” but not a reason for alarm. Rubio said that US officials understood that a laboratory worker had become infected and that there were concerns the illness could have spread internally.

Several countries near eastern Russia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have increased quarantine precautions and testing following Shipilova’s death.