Donald Trump weighed in after the death of a scientist from suspected plague in Siberia.
Trump said his administration is looking at the developments ‘very strongly’ and that the US is on standby to offer help to Russia.
Concern is growing after news emerged that a female laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died of pneumonia of unknown origin.
The US president said: ‘I hate to see them having it.
‘It’s a rough disease. We used to be able to control, but somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and smarter. They’re like an army.
‘Even with great advancement, the germs have really become relatively stronger than they were, and things that used to work on pneumonia don’t work as well anymore.’
The POTUS said America ‘will help them as much as we can,’ although he has not spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
After the scientist Darya Shipilova, 28, fell ill and died, around 200 people who had contact with her are said to be under observation.
It sparked fears of pneumonic plague, although her exact cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
Pneumonic plague is considered the most dangerous form of the disease, with a 24-hour incubation period.
However, if the disease is detected, recovery rates are high and there is a treatment.
Health authorities around the world are monitoring the disease, including in the UK, EU and US.
Chris Lewis, UKHSA’s director of global health protection, told HuffPost that the watchdog is aware of media reports of ‘containment measures’ introduced in Siberia and that it was working through regulation channels to ‘further understand the circumstances and verify the accuracy of these reports.’
However, the risk to UK population from plague remains ‘very low’ currently,he added.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
MORE: Putin’s new intimidation tactic: Sending agents to ‘poo’ in homes of Finnish MPs
MORE: Trump baffles crowd by asking if vegans ‘eat lettuce all day long’
MORE: UK-Iranian RAF Fairford terror suspect bailed as Westminster addresses searched