Daniel Wolfram
Trump is personally intervening in the reported case of pneumonic plague in Siberia.
After reports emerged last week that twenty-eight-year-old technician Darya Shipilova died after exposure to pneumonic plague, the incident has caused international concern. Meanwhile, US diplomats are finding that their Russian counterparts are stonewalling them.
Russian authorities have dismissed claims of pneumonic plague. Health agency Rospotrebnadzor pushed back against circulating documents, posting on Telegram: “We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue.”
Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed the woman died of pneumonia and declared the ultimate cause “undetermined,” according to France24.
Demands for Clarity
Despite Russian denials, American officials are pressing Moscow for details. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the issue directly while traveling in Iceland.
“We encourage Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world so that all of us could react accordingly and appropriately,” Rubio said. “Depending on what we learn about it, we would learn how to respond.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington sent a diplomatic démarche to Moscow. President Donald Trump then confirmed he would intervene directly.
“I have a call scheduled, yes,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn, adding that the discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin would happen “very soon.”
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Pushing Back
The World Health Organization is also following the situation closely. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took to social media to urge fully open communication between nations.
“Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks,” Tedros wrote on social media.
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Agency spokesman Christian Lindmeier assessed the overall risk to the local public as “moderate to low.”
Moscow showed little interest in the United States’ concerns. After Trump offered assistance, Russian officials jokingly offered to help America manage its own health challenges, pointing to “significantly worsened” measles cases in the country and a recent plague death in New Mexico.
