Trump Says He Will Speak Soon With Putin Over Siberia Plague Lab Worker Death

Rubio presses for answers

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would speak “very soon” with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the death of a laboratory worker at a plague research centre in Siberia, while he told reporters, “We’ll be able to report about it, probably tomorrow.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russian authorities to share more information, saying, “We urge Russia to be transparent and to share more information with the world so that we can all respond appropriately,” as the case drew attention in Washington.

The World Health Organization called for transparency, with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying, “Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks.”

Russian officials said they were investigating the cause of the 28-year-old’s death, and Rospotrebnadzor said the woman had died of “pneumonia of an undetermined etiology,” while those who came into contact with her all tested negative.

The WHO said the case presents a “very low” risk outside Russia, even as it asked Russia for additional information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia and the pathogen behind the public health measures.

Reporting for this sectionBBCAl-Jazira Net

Quarantine, tests, and disputes

Russian authorities denied implementing measures to combat plague after reports circulated following the death of 28-year-old Dariya Shabelova, and Rospotrebnadzor said, “As of now, no such decision has been made,” while adding the health situation is “stable” in the Irkutsk region. Igor Kobzev said a special commission concluded the cause of death was pneumonia of unknown origin, and he added that the health watchdog found, after tests, that “no microorganisms related to her professional work were found in the biological samples.” The case triggered competing claims about contact monitoring, with reports that nearly 200 people were placed under medical surveillance and other reporting that hospitals in Irkutsk imposed a three-week quarantine.

The BBC said reports first emerged on Friday of almost 200 people being placed under observation in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, while it also said Russian officials played down unconfirmed accounts about a broken test tube. The AP reported that Russian health officials said preventive measures had been carried out, and it quoted a note relayed to it by WHO saying, “Test results showed no presence of dangerous infectious disease pathogens in any of the contacts,” with medical monitoring for 100% of the contacts concluded.

Reporting for this sectionAl-Jazira NetAP News

What comes next

The U.S. embassy in Russia asked U.S. citizens in the Siberian Irkutsk region to follow local health authorities’ instructions, avoid affected areas, and seek medical care immediately if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms. The CDC said it was closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region that resulted in a death, while it added, “at this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States.” WHO officials said the incubation period for pneumonic plague can be as short as 24 hours, and the BBC said the disease can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated early.

The WHO also said it was in contact with Russian authorities through international health regulations, and it reported that Russia had informed it that no case of plague had recently been registered in Irkutsk oblast. As the investigation continued, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the WHO had requested additional information from Russia to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia and the pathogen that prompted the public health measures, while the U.S. side pressed for “transparency” in order to assess potential public health risks.

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