WASHINGTON, Oct 8 – United States President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the US government does not believe a recent plague-related death in Russia was caused by a biological weapon, adding that expert evaluation of the incident remains ongoing.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump addressed concerns surrounding the suspected biosecurity event in Siberia.

When asked directly whether the outbreak was tied to a biological weapon, Trump replied, “Well, we don’t think so. We’re going to find out soon enough, but we don’t think so”.

While acknowledging that Russian authorities claimed the situation was contained, Trump expressed cautious skepticism, noting, “And if you listen to them, it’s under control. You know, people have said that before about other things”.

WHO Inquiries, Diplomatic Talks, and CDC Surveillance

The international health community and US public health agencies are actively seeking detailed disclosures from Moscow regarding the fatal incident:

WHO Information Request: World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General confirmed on Wednesday that the agency is seeking additional data from Russia concerning the death of a laboratory worker from suspected pneumonic plague and a second employee hospitalized with unexplained pneumonia.
Bilateral Presidential Call: Trump revealed he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting the timing coincided with Putin’s birthday.
Information Sharing: Commenting on Moscow’s transparency, Trump stated Russia was sharing data “a little bit” but emphasized that US experts expect full collaboration.
CDC Monitoring: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reaffirmed that it is closely tracking public health reports and diagnostic data emerging from Siberia.

Trump emphasized that US public health and biosecurity experts are fully engaged and actively analyzing all incoming technical intelligence.

–NMT

Tags: Donald Trump Russian Plague US