US presses Russia for transparency after plague researcher's death in Siberia

The United States is pressing Russia for full transparency following the death of a researcher at a Siberian laboratory studying pneumonic plague, warning that Moscow's lack of information could constitute a global health emergency. Washington has issued a formal diplomatic note urging Russia to comply with international health reporting obligations. The U.S. State Department's confidential démarche, reported by the Wall Street Journal, cites Russia's failure to disclose details about researcher Daria Shipilova's death, which occurred four days ago. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Moscow's shared information remains "quite limited," while the U.S. embassy has advised against travel to Russia due to safety and detention risks. Under the 2005 International Health Regulations, countries must notify the World Health Organization within 24 hours of any potential public health emergency. President Donald Trump, who has scheduled a call with Vladimir Putin, said he expects to provide more details soon, while Russia has only attributed the death to pneumonia.