
U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will soon speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a suspected pneumonic plague case in Siberia that resulted in a laboratory worker's death, as the CDC and WHO monitor the situation and assess low risk to the public.
AI-generated summary
The U.S. and Russia have experienced diplomatic tensions due to Moscow's war in Ukraine, but both countries maintain channels for cooperation on public health emergencies. The CDC monitors international disease outbreaks and coordinates with global partners like the WHO.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday stateside that he was set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the death of a laboratory worker from a suspected case of plague in Siberia.
Trump said the call was scheduled for "very soon" when asked by a reporter about the timing, according to the White House. Asked separately what U.S. intelligence agencies were saying about the incident, Trump said, "So far, we are in very deep discussions. We'll be able to report about it probably tomorrow."
Trump's, who has said in the past that Putin is someone he can work with despite tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, on Monday offered U.S. help to Russia over the deadly plague incident.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said in a post on X Wednesday that it "is aware of and closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia that resulted in a death."
The U.S. public health agency said the circumstances surrounding the case remain unconfirmed. Pneumonic plague can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets during close contact, the CDC said.
However, the CDC said that "at this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States," adding that it and its interagency partners were prepared and would continue to closely monitor the situation.
The World Health Organization has told CNBC that it assesses the risk to the general public as low, based on available information.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Trump and Putin will discuss the suspected plague case in their upcoming call
Very likely · Within days
The CDC and WHO will continue to monitor the situation for any changes in risk assessment
Very likely · Within weeks

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