Trump says US monitoring reported plague case in Russia

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington is closely tracking reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia's Irkutsk region, telling reporters the administration stands ready to offer assistance to Moscow.

Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for a campaign rally in Nebraska, Trump stated: "We're looking at it very strongly. We just heard about it." He noted that medical treatments face increasing challenges, saying: "Years ago you could treat pneumonia easier, and the microbes and the germs have gotten stronger." The president added: "But we'll help them. We'll help them."

US health agencies mobilize

The US State Department said earlier on Monday that it is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to monitor the suspected outbreak in Siberia, according to officials in Washington. Sources confirmed that American health authorities are tracking the fatal case of pneumonia reported by Russian officials.

Russian authorities investigate

Russian authorities have said the case involved pneumonia of unknown etiology and that no accidents were detected at a local anti-plague research institute. The investigation continues as Moscow works to determine the source of the infection.