"Black Death Pathogen Leak" Causes Death and Triggers Global Alert as Trump Says He Is "Watching Very Closely"

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is "watching this situation very closely" regarding a suspected plague pathogen leak incident in Russia.

President Trump told reporters at the White House yesterday local time, "I just heard about that, and we will help Russia to the maximum extent possible."

President Trump also said, "The bacteria have become relatively much stronger than before," adding, "This accident is a big problem for Russia."

Previously, according to outlets such as U.S. CNN, a major incident occurred on September 25 at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, Russia, when a 28-year-old female researcher broke a test tube containing the plague pathogen.

Four days after breaking the vial, on September 29, the woman showed symptoms of severe pneumonia, was hospitalized, and died earlier this month.

Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's state consumer rights protection agency responsible for infectious diseases, announced on October 4 that the female researcher died after being diagnosed with "pneumonia of unknown cause."

While Russian authorities are currently conducting investigations to identify the exact type of leaked pathogen, they are reportedly monitoring about 200 people under quarantine at the hospital where the woman was hospitalized.

The European Commission also stated that it has verified related reports and is closely monitoring the situation.

Plague is an acute febrile infectious disease caused by the plague bacterium, commonly known as the "Black Death."

It causes sudden symptoms such as fever and chills, and is broadly classified into three forms based on clinical presentation: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague.

Pneumonic plague is one of the three manifestations caused by the plague bacterium, and unlike other forms of plague transmitted through contact with fleas or animals, it can spread from person to person through microscopic droplets.

Although its fatality rate is high, it can be effectively treated with antibiotics, Euronews reported.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.