Microbes now stronger, smarter: Trump on Russia plague scare, to speak with Putin

As Russia probes a possible pneumonia plague case at a Siberian research institute, Trump warned that microbes have become "stronger and smarter", likening them to an army. The US President also said he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue.Russian authorities attributed the death to pneumonia with an unknown cause, while health authorities continue to investigate. (Photo: Reuters)New Delhi,Oct 7, 2026 07:27 ISTMicrobes once thought to be controllable have “gotten stronger and smarter”, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, comparing them to an army as he flagged a possible pneumonia plague case at a Siberian research institute.“That’s a disease we used to be able to control, but somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and smarter. They’re like an army,” Trump told reporters at the White House.Trump said he was scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon” about the case, which came to light after the death of an employee at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.Russian authorities attributed the death to pneumonia with an unknown cause, while health authorities continue to investigate. The reported case has also drawn attention in Washington, with Trump saying the US was in “very deep discussions” over the matter. Asked what the US intelligence community was saying, he said more information could be reported “probably tomorrow”.Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a similar assessment while speaking to reporters in Iceland, saying Washington was monitoring the situation “very closely, hour by hour” and expected Russia to share more information with the international community. Rubio said the US had “measures” available to assist Russia if the situation proved more serious than currently acknowledged, but stressed that Washington needed more information before deciding on any action.Earlier, on Monday, Trump also offered US help to Russia, calling plague a “rough disease” and reflecting on how the disease was once considered controllable.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow appreciated Trump’s offer of assistance, while indicating that Russia’s public health watchdog was handling the situation and would provide further information.WHO SAYS 'PLAGUE' RISK LOW OUTSIDE RUSSIAThe World Health Organisation (WHO), meanwhile, has assessed the possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia as posing a “very low” risk outside the country.Russian authorities have sought to reassure the public that the situation remains under control. Health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Tuesday that no plague cases had been detected among people who came into contact with the lab worker.The watchdog also said no infectious diseases had been reported among staff at the institute over the past 10 days. Extensive testing of the woman’s body, it said, found no microorganisms linked to her work.Around 200 people were initially quarantined as a precaution, according to local media. Elena Sofina, deputy head of the Shelekhov district near Irkutsk, said 60 per cent of those quarantined had since been released, adding that the “dangerous diagnosis” had not been confirmed.The WHO, however, said Russia had yet to officially respond to its request for information about the lab worker’s death. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said all contacts had been identified and were being monitored, with none showing symptoms so far.TRUMP TO CALL PUTIN SOONThe planned Trump-Putin conversation comes at a politically significant moment as well, with the Trump administration facing an October 18 deadline to decide which Russian entities, if any, will be sanctioned under the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.Trump signed the legislation into law on September 18.Ukraine has already given the US administration and Congress a list of Russian companies, vessels and individuals it wants targeted under the law.- Ends