The mother of a Russian lab worker suspected of dying from pneumonic plague has accused authorities of letting her daughter die. Svetlana Shipilova, whose daughter Darya Shipilova, 28, died at a research lab in Irkutsk, Siberia, told Russian media outlet Glubina: "They simply let my daughter die."
Mother casts doubt on official reports
Ms Shipilova cast doubt on reports that the infection stemmed from a broken test tube, adding all medical professionals understand it would be "impossible" to break one. Media reports blame the death on the lung infection, while officials in Russia have kept a tight lid on information about the case.
On Thursday, October 8, Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev sought to turn the page on the suspicious death, saying a quarantine and other preventative measures had been completed with no dangerous pathogens detected. His statement came a day after the World Health Organisation requested more information from Russia.
Officials confirm pneumonia of unknown origin
To date, Russian officials have only said Miss Shipilova contracted pneumonia of unknown origin and tests were negative for the pathogens she worked with. Mr Kobzev's statement did not provide details about what exactly caused the woman's pneumonia or what pathogens she worked with.
He also did not explicitly say that her death was not caused by pneumonic plague. Mr Kobzev said she had community-acquired pneumonia — a type contracted outside of a medical setting. The Governor added she had been vaccinated and was immune to the pathogens she worked with at the institute. No accidents had been detected at the institute where "adequate control measures for working with pathogenic microorganisms" have been verified to be in place, according to Mr Kobzev.
Investigation and response
Anna Popova, the head of Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, flew to the Irkutsk region last week. A special commission of experts has been set up to deal with the case.
Mr Kobzev said quarantine, observation of the woman's contacts and other steps have been completed, with some 5,000 lab tests conducted as part of the measures finding no pathogens. He added the investigation came amid pressure from the media, describing it as a challenge which was handled commendably.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's director of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said the UN health agency doesn't know what caused the death and asked for more information from Russia. The WHO also referenced media reports a second employee had pneumonia of undetermined cause.
Earlier on Thursday, Rospotrebnadzor rejected reports about a second person falling ill after coming into contact with the lab worker. It didn't offer any new information about Miss Shipilova's illness or death or the reasons behind the sprawling emergency measures in the region.
Mr Kobzev said the epidemiological situation is "calm" in the city of Irkutsk where the anti-plague institute is located, at the nearby town of Shelekhov, where the woman was hospitalised, and in surrounding areas.
Mother's account of daughter's death
Miss Shipilova's mother, who worked as a doctor in the past, described her daughter as hard-working and dedicated, according to the independent outlet Glubina. She added that she has not received official documents describing the cause of her loved one's death.
News outlet Lyudi Baikala said Miss Shipilova was first hospitalised with cold symptoms on September 29 and died three days later. It quoted colleagues as saying she was a highly qualified and diligent researcher. They also emphasised security rules at the facility are extremely strict.
