Trump to call Putin to discuss researcher death in Siberia

Nearly 200 people are under observation in Siberia following the death of 28-year-old laboratory assistant Darya Shipilova at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, according to reporting detailed by The Straits Times. The episode has triggered international calls for transparency from Washington and the World Health Organization over conflicting reports regarding whether the researcher contracted pneumonic plague.

US and WHO Urge Russia to Share Data

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Russia to share information regarding the incident during a trip to Iceland, stating that Washington would determine its response based on verified details. Meanwhile, WHO director stated that timely and transparent data sharing under International Health Regulations is essential for assessing public health risks.

President Donald Trump told White House reporters on Oct. 6 that he had a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the incident very soon. Trump had previously stated on Oct. 5 that he was ready to offer assistance to Moscow if needed.

Conflicting Accounts of the Laboratory Incident

Russian media outlet People of Baikal reported that Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube inside the facility. Russian political insider channel Nezygar compared the containment measures in Shelekhovsky to the early days of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.

Russian authorities have disputed claims of a lab accident. Rospotrebnadzor denied that online documents detailing special anti-plague measures originated from official sources. Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev stated on Oct. 5 that an inspection determined Shipilova died of pneumonia with an undetermined cause, adding that post-mortem biological samples showed no microorganisms linked to her professional work. Rospotrebnadzor subsequently reported finding two cases of COVID-19 and two cases of rhinoviruses among her contacts, with all other tests for dangerous infectious disease pathogens returning negative.

Russia Takes Emergency Measures to Contain Plague Risk

Reuters reported that Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, flew to Siberia over the weekend for emergency meetings as local authorities cordoned off parts of the hospital and an aluminum plant advised workers to wear masks.

Plague is endemic to Siberia’s wild rodent and mammal populations and their fleas, though human cases in Russia are rare. While pneumonic plague can transmit via respiratory droplets and carries a high fatality rate if untreated, it responds to a standard course of antibiotics when caught early. An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases is scheduled to be held in Irkutsk on October 21-22, though organizers stated the event is unrelated to the researcher’s death.