US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible case of plague at a research institute in Siberia.
Health authorities are investigating the death last week of a woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. Russian authorities attributed it to pneumonia of unknown cause.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday the risk outside Russia is “very low” and that it is in contact with Russian officials.
Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States is in “very deep discussions” on the matter and expects to report on it “probably tomorrow”. He said on Monday the US was willing to help Russia.
For readers in Sri Lanka, the WHO assessment suggests no immediate risk of spread beyond Russia.
The call comes before an 18 October deadline for the Trump administration to decide on possible sanctions on Russian entities.
