US Requests More Information From Russia on Possible Siberian Plague Case

The United States has formally requested additional information from Russia regarding a possible plague case at a research institute in Siberia, with President Donald Trump stating he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the matter. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the formal inquiry, adding that Washington is discussing the case at high levels with other nations to share information. The alarm was raised after a 28-year-old woman working at a plague research institute died from a lung infection of unknown cause. Trump said Tuesday that US intelligence has had "very in-depth discussions" on the topic and that his call with Putin will occur "very soon." The World Health Organization assessed the risk outside Russia as "very low," while Trump has offered US assistance, noting the disease is serious and microbes have become stronger. The conversation comes as the administration approaches an October 18 deadline on potential sanctions against Russian entities under a new law.