US President Donald Trump says he will speak “very soon” with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the reported plague death in Russia of a laboratory technician at a research institute in Siberia, Arab News reported, citing AFP.
Russian outlet People of Baikal reported that Darya Shipilova, 28, died at the institute in the Irkutsk region and may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube. About 200 people she may have had contact with were reportedly placed in quarantine.
Russian authorities dispute the account. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said post-mortem tests found she died of pneumonia with an “undetermined” cause and that no microorganisms linked to her work were found in her samples. Authorities also denied imposing anti-plague measures.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify the conflicting reports.
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