US President Donald Trump has expressed readiness to help Russia combat plague, commenting on reports of a suspected outbreak. His remarks were cited by Clash Report, while Russian authorities have not confirmed the plague diagnosis, according to infohub.kz.
"I'm very sorry they're dealing with this. It's a serious disease. You know, we used to be able to handle it, but somehow these microbes have become stronger and smarter, like a real army. And what used to work for pneumonia doesn't work as well now. So we'll help. Anyone who has a problem like this, we're always ready to help. We'll help Russia," Trump said.
He did not specify what kind of assistance he meant.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that rumors of a possible plague outbreak emerged after the death of 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, an employee at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute. Social media and news outlets spread a version that she might have broken a test tube containing the pathogen.
Rospotrebnadzor has not confirmed this version. According to official data, the employee was diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology. Tests did not reveal any microorganisms related to her professional activity, and no accidents involving pathogens were recorded at the institute.
About 200 people who had contact with the employee are under medical observation. According to the governor of Irkutsk Oblast, no signs of a particularly dangerous infection have been found in them.
The Kremlin has urged the public to rely on official information.
"The lead agency competent in this area is Rospotrebnadzor. And it is precisely on Rospotrebnadzor's official statements that one should rely, not listening to various rumors and speculations," said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, at a briefing on October 5.
The rumors also spread in Kazakhstan. The Center for Combating Disinformation warned about attempts to link a fire at the Masgut Aikimbayev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections in Almaty to rumors of plague in Russia. The fire occurred on September 21. The center called attempts to connect these events manipulative.