Trump has offered U.S. assistance to Russia following the death of a laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region. The worker fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to quarantine nearly 200 people.
"We'll help," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "Everybody who has that kind of a problem, we'll always help." Trump said he had not spoken to Russian officials about the case but described plague as a "rough disease" and noted that "somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and stronger, they're like an army."
The State Department said it was monitoring the situation closely with the CDC and other interagency partners. An unnamed spokesperson told CNBC that "many details have not been confirmed" and urged Russian authorities to "share accurate information quickly and openly."
Russian authorities said the situation was under control. It remains unclear whether Moscow has sought or would accept any assistance from the United States.
The World Health Organization said the cause of death had not been confirmed and testing was underway. The WHO said it was in contact with Russian authorities and had offered support if needed. It assessed the risk to the general public as low based on available information.
Trump said previously that he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin someone he can work with, despite tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine.