October 6, 2026- A researcher at a Russian anti-plague institute has died of what’s been identified as a case of the plague, according to CNBC. President Donald Trump said the U.S. is willing to help Russia after the State Department announced it was monitoring a reportedly fatal case of “pneumonia of an unknown etiology” linked to a Russian plague research laboratory, according to ABC News. There are still many unknowns about the developing disease situation, however, as many as 189 people have also been placed under medical observation in Irkutsk, a region in eastern Siberia, due to exposure to the potentially deadly disease.
Plague is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection that remains endemic in parts of the world, including the western parts of the U.S., but can be treated with antibiotics if identified quickly.