Trump to speak with Putin over reported plague lab death in Russia

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Washington: US President Donald Trump said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon about the reported death of a laboratory worker at a plague research facility in Siberia, as Washington and the World Health Organization called for greater transparency from Moscow.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday that a call with Putin was scheduled and that the two leaders would discuss the incident. He said US officials were in "very deep discussions" and expected to provide more information.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to disclose further details, saying greater openness was needed to allow other countries to respond appropriately. The WHO also called for Russia to clarify conflicting reports.

Russian authorities have rejected claims that special anti-plague measures were introduced following the death at a research institute in the Irkutsk region.

Local reports identified the deceased woman as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova and suggested she may have contracted pneumonic plague after a laboratory accident. Reports also said as many as 200 people who may have been in contact with her were quarantined.

Russian health authorities said those reports were false and that tests had not confirmed plague. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said an inspection found that the woman had died from pneumonia, while the cause remained "undetermined".

He said no microorganisms linked to her work were found in her biological samples and no other employees at the institute had sought medical treatment following her death.

The WHO said Russia had reported that no case of plague had been recorded in Irkutsk, but Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation had requested additional information.

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, Tedros said.

Plague is a bacterial disease that can occur in several forms. Pneumonic plague is particularly dangerous because it can spread through respiratory droplets and can be fatal without early treatment.

Trump had earlier offered US assistance to Russia if needed.