Trump: We currently do not believe that the death of the plague scientist in Russia is related to biological weapons

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he currently does not believe the death of a scientist at a plague research center in Siberia is linked to a Russian biological weapon.

When asked at the White House whether the plague case in Russia is related to a biological weapon, he said: "Well, we don't think so. We will know the truth soon enough, but we don't think so."

Trump did not clarify what he based his assessment on.

He also noted that the phone call that had been announced with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the case has not yet taken place.

Trump said on Tuesday that he intends to speak with Putin about the unclear circumstances surrounding the case, which raised concerns about a potential outbreak of pneumonic plague.

The U.S. State Department had previously urged Russian authorities to provide information about the case quickly and transparently.

When asked on Wednesday whether Russia's handling of the case reminded him of China's response at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump said: "Well, China didn't say much, and Russia isn't saying much either, but they say they are largely in control of the situation."

The 28-year-old scientist who worked at a plague research institute died on Friday in a hospital in the Siberian city of Shelekhov near Irkutsk.

The cause of her illness remains unclear, while Russian authorities denied reports that she contracted the disease due to an accident in the laboratory.

The Russian public health authorities only stated that her death was not caused by any plague pathogens, and mentioned that the cause of death was "unknown source pneumonia."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has requested information from Russia about another potential death due to pneumonia in Irkutsk.

If it is confirmed that the disease is pneumonic plague, it will be an acute form of plague caused by the bacterium "Yersinia pestis." The disease can develop when the infection spreads to the lungs, and it can be treated with antibiotics if detected early.