Trump says Putin call coming ‘very soon’ as US tracks suspected plague death in Russia

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon" as his administration closely tracks reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Siberia that have prompted a U.S. health alert and heightened health precautions across several countries bordering Russia.

Trump revealed the planned call while taking questions from reporters Tuesday.

Asked whether he had spoken with Putin about the situation, Trump said he already had a call scheduled.

"I have a call scheduled, yup," Trump said.

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President Donald Trump speaks to the press upon his return to the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6, 2026. He returned from Sparrows Point, Md., where he spoke at Anduril Industries. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)

Asked when the call would take place, the president responded, "Very soon."

Trump said the administration was in "very deep discussions" when asked what U.S. intelligence agencies were saying about the reports.

The president's comments came as the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert Tuesday saying it was aware of press reports from Russia's Irkutsk region of "suspected pneumonic plague resulting in the death of an individual," along with associated quarantine measures and hospital closures.

"We continue to track the situation closely," the embassy said.

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Workers in protective uniforms conduct testing in Russia amid heightened precautions following the death of an employee at a Siberian anti-plague research institute. (Khuvsguliinungu.mn/e2w)

A State Department spokesman told Fox News Digital that the department, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other interagency partners, is "closely monitoring the fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague" in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast.

"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," the spokesman said.

The spokesman cautioned that "many details remain unconfirmed" and called on Moscow to provide greater clarity.

"We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly," the spokesman said.

The alert advised Americans in the area to follow local health guidance, avoid affected medical facilities and seek prompt medical care if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms. Those who have traveled to an area experiencing an outbreak were advised to monitor their health for 14 days.

The State Department's existing Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia remains unchanged. The embassy reiterated that Americans currently in Russia should depart and warned that the U.S. government's ability to assist citizens there is limited, particularly outside Moscow.

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A view of the Medical Assistance and Rescue Centre, an infectious diseases hospital, in the town of Shelekhov in the Irkutsk region, Russia, on October 5, 2026. (Stringer/Reuters)

Several countries bordering Russia are also implementing new health precautions in response to the reports.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are moving to implement what their governments have described as "enhanced health and sanitary measures" in response to reports of pneumonic plague in Siberia.

A 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week from what Russian authorities described as pneumonia of undetermined origin. Russia has not said the woman died of plague and said testing found no microorganisms in her body linked to her work.

Darya Shipilova, 28, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died after developing pneumonia of an unknown cause, prompting quarantines and heightened health precautions in the region. Russian authorities say testing has found no evidence her illness was linked to pathogens she worked with. (East2West )

Russian officials told the WHO that her contacts tested negative for dangerous infectious pathogens. The WHO has assessed the risk to the general population as low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also said it is closely monitoring the reports and working across the U.S. government as additional information becomes available. The agency said there is currently no indication of a broader threat to the United States.

Pneumonic plague is a serious bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis. It can spread between people through respiratory droplets during close contact and can progress rapidly if untreated. The disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, particularly when identified and treated early.

For now, U.S. officials are continuing to seek additional information about what occurred in Irkutsk and whether the incident poses any wider threat.

The president suggested his administration could have more to say as soon as Wednesday.

"We'll be able to report about it probably tomorrow," Trump said.

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Jasmine Baehr is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, legal debates surrounding life and family policy, as well as faith and culture.