Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Oct 7: US President Donald Trump said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon” over a suspected plague case in Russia that has triggered a health investigation.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the US was in “very deep discussions” over the case and that he expected more information to be available soon.

Health authorities in Russia are investigating the death of an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. The woman reportedly died after developing severe pneumonia of unknown origin.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the reported case currently poses a “very low” risk outside Russia and confirmed that it was in contact with Russian authorities following the woman’s death.

The 28-year-old laboratory worker reportedly became seriously ill after allegedly breaking a test tube containing live biological material while working at the anti-plague facility in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk.

She later developed severe pneumonia and was admitted to hospital. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she was placed on a ventilator before dying on October 1.

Nearly 200 people who may have had direct or indirect contact with the woman have reportedly been placed under medical observation or isolation.

Reports have raised concerns that the woman may have been exposed to pneumonic plague, although Russian authorities have not officially confirmed plague as the cause of her illness or death.

Pneumonic plague primarily affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets. Symptoms can include sudden fever, headache, weakness, breathing difficulties, chest pain and coughing.

The WHO has said plague can be fatal if treatment is delayed, but it can be treated effectively with appropriate antibiotics when diagnosed and managed promptly.