// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Trump to speak to Putin about plague lab worker's death in Russia
The victim was working at the anti-plague institute in the Siberia city of Irkutsk
US President Donald Trump has said he will speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin soon about the death of a lab worker at a plague research centre in Siberia.
"So far we are in very deep discussions," Trump said, adding that he would be able to report on his talks with Putin "probably" on Thursday.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no phone call had been scheduled, and Russia's reporting of the death to the World Health Organization (WHO) was in line with standard practice. He accused the media of reporting "false information".
The US has issued a formal diplomatic message to Russia requesting additional information. Peskov told reporters he was not aware of such a request.
Russian officials say they are investigating the cause of the 28-year-old's death. They say that those who came into contact with the victim all tested negative and have not confirmed that the suspected disease is pneumonic plague - a serious lung infection, often described as the most virulent form of plague.
Earlier, the head of the WHO called for transparency from Russia.
"Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
According to the WHO, pneumonic plague has a very short incubation period - sometimes just 24 hours - and can be fatal, if not diagnosed and treated early.
contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials