Russia is ready to quickly schedule a phone call between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin over the death of a worker at a plague research center in Siberia. However, the call has not been scheduled yet.
Trump said he expects to speak with Putin “very soon” about the death of 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, who died on October 2. She worked at the Irkutsk Plague Institute, located more than 2,500 miles east of Moscow.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Moscow to be more transparent and “share more information with the world”. The State Department told CBS News that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had reached out to Russian authorities and requested additional information about the death.
Russia denies risk of epidemic
Russian authorities have cited “pneumonia of unknown origin” as the cause of death. Initial reports in Russian media, some of which have since been retracted, suggested that Shipilova may have contracted pneumonic plague after an incident at the laboratory.
The World Health Organization has asked Russia’s Rospotrebnadzor for additional information. In response, the agency said that precautions in the Irkutsk region are being eased because there is no risk of an epidemic related to the death.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, about 200 people who had contact with Shipilova have been tested, but no cases of plague have been found among them. Nearly 90 percent of those under observation have already been released. Almost 5,000 laboratory tests have been conducted, in which no dangerous pathogens were found. The department adds that Shipilova was vaccinated against the infections she worked with.
The lack of explanation fuels questions
The death also attracted attention because of the institute's activities, which include not only research on the plague bacterium, but also preparation for actions in the event of incidents with potential agents of bioterrorism. The director of the center also participated in a joint emergency exercise with Chinese representatives dedicated to a hypothetical cross-border epidemic.
American journalist Annie Jacobson, author of the book “Biological Warfare“, told CBS News that in the event of an accidental release of a genetically modified pathogen from a highly protected laboratory “the biggest concern is Russia“. She described the Irkutsk center as a dual-purpose facility and said it had been a cover for a biological weapons facility in the past.
The World Health Organization said it had also requested information about media reports of a possible second infected person in the area. So far, no such case has been confirmed.
Neighboring countries have stepped up precautions
About 200 of Shipilova's colleagues were placed under quarantine for three days and were tested twice a day. Residents of the apartment building where she lived say that on the night of her death, employees in protective suits and masks cleaned the entrance to the building.
While Russian authorities insist that there are no confirmed cases of plague, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have introduced additional precautions along their borders with Russia due to concerns about the spread of infectious diseases.
Sources: cbsnews.com