Russia open to a Trump-Putin call as questions mount over plague lab death

Following the October 2nd death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia, the United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) have formally requested more information from the Russian government. While Russian authorities attribute the death to 'pneumonia of unknown origin' and state that no plague was detected among 200 screened contacts, initial media reports and Western officials have raised concerns about a potential laboratory accident involving pneumonic plague. President Trump has indicated he expects to speak with Vladimir Putin shortly regarding the incident. Neighboring countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have implemented border precautions as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the facility.

Following the October 2nd death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia, the United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) have formally requested more information from the Russian government. While Russian authorities attribute the death to 'pneumonia of unknown origin' and state that no plague was detected among 200 screened contacts, initial media reports and Western officials have raised concerns about a potential laboratory accident involving pneumonic plague. President Trump has indicated he expects to speak with Vladimir Putin shortly regarding the incident. Neighboring countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have implemented border precautions as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the facility.