Trump responds to concerns over suspected plague case in Russia, saying US 'willing to help'

Amid a global health scare sparked by the death of a 28-year-old woman who worked at at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, President Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. would be willing to provide assistance to Russia.

Russian public health entity Rospotrebnadzor said Sunday that the deceased individual had been diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown etiology," or origin, but that testing revealed "no microorganisms associated with the patient’s professional activities."

Rospotrebnadzor indicated it didn’t discover any incidents at the facility "involving pathogenic microorganisms."

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U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up an appearance at a campaign rally at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds on Oct. 5, 2026 in Grand Island, Neb. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

During remarks on Monday, Trump said "the germs have really become relatively stronger than they were, and things that used to work on pneumonia don't work as well anymore.

"Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we're always willing to help," he said.

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"While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognized and treated early," a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson noted in a statement, according to NBC News. 

"At this time, there is no indication from available reporting of a broader threat to the United States," the statement said. 

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A Department of Health and Human Services sign hangs outside of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building on June 17, 2025 in Washington, DC (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)