Washington and Moscow are set to hold high-level talks over a suspected plague case at a Siberian research institute, a development that has drawn international attention and exposed tensions over how the incident is being handled.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he had scheduled a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the matter, describing it as a priority. “Very deep discussions” were underway in Washington, he said, adding that the call would take place “very soon.”
Trump’s offer of US assistance, made on Monday, was met with a mixed response from Russian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the gesture, but Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, countered by stating that Moscow was “ready to assist the United States in tackling outbreaks of infectious diseases,” citing measles outbreaks in three US states. The sharp reply underscored the geopolitical undercurrents of the case.
Local authorities in Siberia have also pushed back against foreign involvement. Elena Sofina, deputy mayor of the Shelekhov district, insisted that “we will manage on our own. The situation is under full control.” She added that the dangerous diagnosis had not been confirmed, though all protocol measures were being followed. According to her, 60% of those placed in quarantine have already been released.
Mystery death at Irkutsk institute
The case centres on Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, who died in hospital on 2 October. Unconfirmed reports suggest she may have broken a vial containing a plague pathogen, but official records list the cause of death as “pneumonia of unknown aetiology.”
Despite negative test results among her contacts, authorities quarantined nearly 200 people and placed several hospitals under restrictions—measures that seem disproportionate for ordinary pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it assessed the risk outside Russia as “very low” and saw no signs of the disease spreading. Spokesman Christian Lindmeier noted that the cause of death had not been officially confirmed and that laboratory tests were ongoing.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation had asked Russia for “additional information to determine the cause of the severe pneumonia” and to verify media reports of a second staff member with pneumonia of unknown cause. “Timely, complete and transparent information-sharing in line with the International Health Regulations is critical,” he stressed.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was closely monitoring the situation and that “at this time there are no signs of a broader threat to the United States.” The US Embassy in Moscow reminded American citizens that the State Department’s Level 4 “do not travel” advisory for Russia remains in force, citing the risk of wrongful detention and security concerns.
Residents of Irkutsk, however, appear unperturbed. One local told AFP: “If the situation were really serious, I think by now everything would already have been closed.”
The incident has also drawn attention from European health officials, who are set to review the case as part of broader efforts to monitor infectious disease threats. EU health officials are reviewing the suspected plague case, while a Belgian virologist has said the case appears isolated. The virologist's assessment offers some reassurance, but the lack of transparency from Russian authorities remains a concern for international observers.
As the situation develops, the contrast between Moscow’s confident assertions and the WHO’s request for more data highlights the challenges of cross-border health cooperation. The WHO has downplayed the risk, but the broader geopolitical context—including ongoing tensions over Ukraine—adds another layer of complexity to the dialogue between Washington and Moscow.
