President Donald Trump stated on October 6, 2026, that he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a pneumonic plague case, following the death of a female staff member at a Russian anti-plague lab. Trump mentioned the call would take place 'very soon' while speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment regarding Trump's statements.
On October 5, Trump expressed his willingness to assist Russia, referring to the pneumonic plague as 'a rough disease' and stating, 'I hate to see them having it. Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we’re always willing to help.'
The Russian health watchdog reported that Darya Shipilova, 28, a staff member at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died from a 'pneumonia of undetermined' origin. The watchdog indicated that plague was not detected among her contacts, noting only two cases of COVID-19 and one case of rhinovirus.
A State Department official informed NBC News that the U.S. government had been in contact with Russia regarding the incident since October 3, following reports of Shipilova’s death.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Russia should provide more information, urging the public not to jump to conclusions. He remarked, 'Maybe, you know, there’s nothing there. Maybe it’s bigger than we thought. We don’t know,' during a news conference in Iceland.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged on October 6 that it was monitoring reports of the death, describing it as 'a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia.' The CDC added that there is currently no indication of a broader threat to the United States, but they are prepared to monitor the situation closely.