Trump Offers US Help To Russia Over Suspected Pneumonic Plague Case

US President Donald Trump has offered assistance to Russia following the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia after she developed severe pneumonia.

However, Russian authorities have not confirmed whether the illness was caused by pneumonic plague, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the risk to the general population as low.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said the US was closely monitoring the situation and was ready to help countries facing such health emergencies.

“It’s a disease we used to be able to control,” he said, adding that Washington would assist “anyone who has that kind of problem”.

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The case involves Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.

She died on October 2 after developing severe pneumonia. Russian health authorities have described her illness as pneumonia of unknown origin and said tests found no microorganisms associated with her work.

Authorities in the Irkutsk region have quarantined a hospital and placed around 200 people who may have come into contact with Shipilova under medical observation.

No plague infections have been confirmed among those being monitored. Two cases of COVID-19 and two rhinovirus infections were detected, Reuters reported.

Reports suggesting a possible laboratory accident have not been confirmed.

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Russian authorities have denied finding evidence of a pathogen-related incident at the institute.

The WHO has said the risk to the general population appears to be low, based on the unofficial information it has received.

Pneumonic plague is a severe form of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory particles.

The disease can progress rapidly if left untreated, but early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can be effective.

The cause of Shipilova’s death remains unconfirmed, and Russian authorities have not reported a wider plague outbreak.