President Trump said Monday that the United States will help Russia amid a potential case of pneumonic plague, though he hasn't spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about it.
Why it matters: International concern spiked over the weekend over the news that a Russian lab worker had died from a possible case of pneumonic plague, reminding some of how the COVID-19 epidemic began.
Trump's comments came after a question about the reported death of Darya Shipilova, who was potentially exposed to plague bacteria while working at the Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia.
- There has been no official confirmation that Shipilova's death was due to pneumonic plague, but five hospitals in the area and dozens of institute workers have been quarantined out of precaution.
- Russian health authorities say Shipilova died from "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and that testing showed no pathogen tied to her work.
- No additional deaths or sicknesses tied to the incident have been reported.
What they're saying: "We just heard about it," Trump told reporters Monday.
- "We'll help them," Trump said. "We'll help them as much as we can."
- Trump said the disease used to be more controllable, but "microbes and the germs have gotten stronger."
- The president appeared to be referring to antimicrobial resistance, but pneumonic plague itself remains treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed early
Between the lines: The White House is monitoring the outbreak, Axios scooped, with the Department of Health and Human Services and State Department also on alert.
- The European Commission is also "very closely" monitoring the suspected outbreak.
Go deeper: How pneumonic plague spreads, and how it is and isn't like COVID