"I have a call scheduled, yes," US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on 6/10, when asked if he had discussed the suspected plague death with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
He added that the call would take place "very soon." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier that day urged Russia to be transparent about the incident.
"We encourage Russia to share more information with the world, so that all of us can respond appropriately and adequately," he said during a visit to Iceland. "Based on what we learn about this issue, we will know how to react."
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US State Department sent a classified diplomatic message to Russia, warning that the country would violate international health obligations if it did not disclose details of the incident.
 |
President Putin (left) and President Trump in Alaska, US, 8/2025. Photo: AFP |
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on 6/10 that it had received an update from Russia, in which Moscow emphasized that "there have been no cases of this dangerous disease in Irkutsk city."
"Timely, transparent, and complete information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports, allowing for a full assessment of potential public health risks," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
According to Russian media, Dalia Shipilova, a laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, was admitted to a hospital in Shelekhov on 29/9 with symptoms of severe pneumonia.
She told medical staff that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing Yersinia pestis bacteria while taking samples at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute on 25/9. Shipilova was placed on a ventilator before dying two days later.
Alexei Tsydenov, head of Russia's Buryatia Republic, initially stated that the female employee "may have died of plague." Russian media reported it as pneumonic plague, the only form transmissible from person to person.
However, Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev stated on 5/10 that test results from a special expert council determined Shipilova's cause of death as "pneumonia of unknown etiology."
He added that Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer rights and health watchdog agency, concluded that "no microorganisms related to the technician's professional work were found in her samples." Russian officials also denied reports that the country was imposing anti-plague measures.
 |
Dalia Shipilova, a laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Photo: Ynet |
President Trump stated on 5/10 that the US was ready to assist Russia if needed. In a message seemingly responding to Trump's offer, Rospotrebnadzor announced on 6/10 that Russia was ready to assist Washington in responding to infectious disease outbreaks in the US.
The agency noted that measles outbreaks in three US states had "significantly worsened," and mentioned one "plague death" in New Mexico in June.
An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases will be held in Irkutsk on 21-22/10, though organizers stated the event "is unrelated to the recent death."
Pneumonic plague, one of three forms of the disease caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, is the most severe form of plague. The disease develops when a person inhales airborne droplets containing the pathogen, or when bacteria from untreated septicemic or bubonic plague spread to the patient's lungs. The disease has a mortality rate of up to nearly 100% if not treated within the first 24 hours.
Pham Giang (According to AFP)
