Mother of Irkutsk lab worker who died disputes claim she broke a test tube
The mother of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old lab technician who died in Irkutsk, Russia, in circumstances linked by some to plague, rejects the account that she broke a test tube. The WHO, the US and the EU are demanding more information from Russia.
A 28-year-old laboratory technician, Darya Shipilova, died in the early hours of 2 October in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Russia, where she worked at the Siberian Anti-Plague Research Institute. The circumstances of her death remain unclear, and doubts about the official Russian account have led to growing international calls for fuller disclosure about a possible plague outbreak.
Shipilova was taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Shelekhov, where she died. Local officials and pro-government media later linked her death to plague in posts that were subsequently deleted, but the Kremlin has rejected those claims and denied that any anti-plague measures were introduced. Unconfirmed reports in local media say she was infected after breaking a test tube containing plague bacteria, and that around 200 people were quarantined.
Mother and friends push back
Shipilova's mother, Svetlana, who herself works in medicine, told the outlet Glubina that she knows the truth and does not believe this version. She said such test tubes cannot be broken even if thrown at a wall, and their contents cannot be spilled. She also claimed her daughter was "allowed to die". Friends and acquaintances told People of Baikal that Darya was diligent and responsible, and questioned the story.
Official positions
Russia's consumer protection and public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, says the woman died of pneumonia of unknown etiology and insists residents face no epidemic risk. The head of the Republic of Buryatia, however, stated she died of plague.
International pressure
The World Health Organization (WHO) requested information on the cause of the severe pneumonia and on reports of a second employee with pneumonia of unknown origin. Russia's watchdog replied that it had sent information. The US delivered a diplomatic note to Russia, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Moscow to be open. The European Union also called for timely and transparent information, while Mongolia is tightening health checks on its border with Russia.
Irkutsk residents complain about a lack of information: neighbours say no samples have been taken from them, and Shipilova's apartment building has been disinfected at least three times.
