Trump Warns Russian Plague Germs 'Like an Army' After Lab Worker Death

President Donald Trump warned that suspected pneumonic plague germs in Siberia have become "stronger and smarter" and are "like an army," following the death of a Russian lab technician, heightening global concern despite officials urging calm. The technician, Daria Shipilova, 28, died on October 2 after reportedly breaking a test tube containing Yersinia pestis at an Irkutsk research institute. Russian authorities have quarantined three hospitals and isolated around 200 contacts, but deny a lab leak, citing "pneumonia of unknown origin." The US State Department has urged Russia to share information openly, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it is "not cause for alarm" but warrants monitoring. International experts stress the risk of a global pandemic remains very low, as pneumonic plague is treatable with modern antibiotics.