“[In the Oval Office, saying he did not think it was a bioweapon, and asked whether Russia was giving him the same "vibe" as China at the start of Covid:] But they do say they have it very much under control.
Back to stories
A 28-Year-Old Worker at Russia's Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute Dies of a "Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology" and Nearly 200 People Are Put Under Observation — Marco Rubio Says It Is "Incumbent Upon Russia" to Share More, Rand Paul Says Soviet Defectors Described "Weaponizing the Plague," and Trump Says Moscow Says "They Have It Very Much Under Control"
October 7, 2026
In early October 2026, a 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute in Siberia died after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Regional officials gave the cause as "pneumonia of unknown etiology," and nearly 200 people who may have been exposed were placed under medical observation. Russia's consumer health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said tests on contacts found two Covid-19 cases and two rhinovirus infections and "no other infectious disease pathogens," and Russia told the World Health Organization that no case of plague had been recorded. The WHO said it was still asking which pathogen caused the pneumonia and rated the risk outside Russia "very low." Washington treated it as a suspected case of pneumonic plague. A State Department spokesman cited "reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague," said "many details remain unconfirmed," and urged Russian authorities "to share accurate information quickly and openly"; the department also lodged a formal diplomatic demarche. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert repeating its standing advice that Americans leave Russia. The CDC said there was "no indication of a broader threat to the United States." Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the case "cause for focus" and, in Iceland the next day, said Russia should share more information with the world. Sen. Rand Paul raised the possibility that Russia had been weaponizing plague, citing Soviet-era defectors, though he offered no evidence connecting the death to any weapons program and scientists said there was none. President Trump said he had a call scheduled with Vladimir Putin about it; the Kremlin said no call had been arranged. On Oct. 7, Trump said he did not think it was a bioweapon.
6
Statements Recorded
See what your representatives said?
6 Statements
“[On the South Lawn, asked whether he had spoken with Putin about the suspected plague case:] I have a call scheduled, yup. … Very soon. … [Asked what U.S. intelligence is saying, he described] very deep discussions. … We'll be able to report about it probably tomorrow.
“[In Iceland:] [It is] incumbent upon Russia to obviously share more information with the world. … Maybe, you know, there's nothing there. Maybe it's bigger than we thought. We don't know.
“[On Fox News with Will Cain:] I will tell you one thing that is disconcerting about this. … The plague itself happens naturally and there's a couple hundred cases a year that get it. Most times it's treatable with antibiotics. In this case, it wasn't. … We do know from defectors in the 1970s and '80s that they were weaponizing the plague. … So it is concerning, and I think we should be doing our due diligence by looking at satellite images.
“[To reporters, calling pneumonic plague "a rough disease":] I hate to see them having it. … Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we're always willing to help.
“[To reporters, on the death of the Irkutsk lab worker:] We know what we know, obviously, about whatever the Russians have provided. … It seems that there was a worker at the lab that was infected, and there's concern that that, you know, could have spread. … [It is not] cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus, and a cause to just keep an eye on it, and we're doing that.