US monitoring suspected pneumonic plague in Russia, Trump says

US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington is closely monitoring a reported fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Russia and stands ready to provide assistance to Moscow."We're looking at it very strongly.

We just heard about it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.Calling the fatality a "big problem for Russia", Trump added: "Years ago you could treat pneumonia easier, and the microbes and the germs have gotten stronger.

But we'll help them.

We'll help them.

Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we're always willing to help."The US State Department confirmed that American authorities, alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are actively reviewing reports emerging from Russia's Irkutsk region.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also affirmed that Washington is tracking developments closely.Quarantine in SiberiaThe alert follows the death of 28-year-old laboratory worker Darya Shipilova at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.Her death prompted authorities to place dozens of contacts into quarantine and dispatch the head of Russia's consumer health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, directly to the Siberian region.While the incident triggered widespread concern across social media, Russian officials maintained the situation remains under control, attributing the death to pneumonia of unestablished origin and denying claims that a vial containing pathogens was dropped.The World Health Organisation stated that the general public health risk appears low, noting that updated assessments will follow further disclosures.Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is endemic to Siberian wildlife, though human transmission remains rare.Pneumonic plague is the most dangerous airborne form and can be fatal within one to six days if untreated with antibiotics.