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Trump, Putin to Discuss Reported Plague Death Amid US Pressure
A laboratory worker in Irkutsk, Russia, died, and some reports suggested she might have had plague.
Russian officials say tests did not find plague and that she died of pneumonia, though the cause is still undetermined.
They also say no work-related microorganisms were found in her samples.
The World Health Organization says Russia has reported no confirmed plague case in the city.
Russia is investigating the pneumonia case and monitoring people who may have had contact with her.
The WHO says the risk to Irkutsk is moderate to low based on the information it has.
US officials want Russia to share more details so countries can understand what happened.
President Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin very soon.
Donald Trump said Tuesday he had a call scheduled with Vladimir Putin “very soon” about the reported death of a laboratory technician in Irkutsk.
The United States urged Russia to share more information; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said transparency would help countries respond appropriately.
Media reports said 28-year-old Darya Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague after a laboratory accident, but Russian officials said tests did not detect the disease.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said an inspection found pneumonia and that the cause of death remained undetermined; he said no work-related microorganisms were found in her samples.
The World Health Organization said Russia reported no confirmed plague case in Irkutsk, was investigating community-acquired pneumonia, and assessed the local risk as moderate to low.
- Who
- US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a deceased laboratory technician identified in reports as Darya Shipilova.
- What
- Trump said he planned to speak with Putin about reports that the technician may have died after contracting plague; Russian officials deny a confirmed plague case.
- Where
- Irkutsk, in Russia’s Siberian region.
- When
- Trump said Tuesday that the call would happen “very soon”; the report was published October 7, 2026.
- Why
- The United States is seeking more information from Russia about the reported death and possible public-health risk.
US and WHO Call for Clarity
Russia Rejects Plague Claims
Information sharing
US and WHO Call for Clarity
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information, and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for timely, complete, and transparent information sharing.
Russia Rejects Plague Claims
Russian authorities said no confirmed plague case had been recorded in Irkutsk and rejected an online document claiming special measures were in place.
Cause of death and disease risk
US and WHO Call for Clarity
US officials sought further information about reports that the technician may have contracted pneumonic plague after a laboratory accident; the WHO said it was monitoring the situation.
Russia Rejects Plague Claims
Russian officials said tests had not detected plague, and the regional governor said the woman died of pneumonia with the cause undetermined.
Key facts
- Reported technician
- Darya Shipilova, 28, according to media reports cited in the articles.
- Reported illness
- Reports suggested possible pneumonic plague; Russian officials said tests did not detect the disease.
- Russian account
- Governor Igor Kobzev said an inspection found pneumonia, with the cause of death undetermined.
- US response
- Trump said a call with Putin was scheduled; Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information.
- WHO assessment
- No confirmed plague case was reported in Irkutsk; the WHO described the risk as moderate to low.
- Investigation
- Russia told the WHO it had launched an epidemiological investigation into a case of community-acquired pneumonia.
- Conference
- An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases was scheduled in Irkutsk for October 21–22; organizers said it was unrelated to the death.
Quotes
Marco Rubio
US Secretary of State
“We encourage Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world so that all of us could react accordingly and appropriately.”
news18.com
NDTV
Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor
Russian federal public health and consumer rights agency
“We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue.”
news18.com
NDTV
Sources
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