The mother of a scientist who died following suspected pneumonic plague in Russia has spoken out after her daughter’s mysterious illness.
All eyes are on the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia after one of its workers, Darya Shipilova, died on October 2 after becoming ill. The 28-year-old scientist was taken to the hospital in Shelekhov, where she passed away.
Mother refutes official claims
Russia’s health watchdog has insisted that testing of her body discovered no ‘micro-organisms’ in her that were linked to her work, while the Kremlin dismissed allegations about the disease or anti-plague measures.
Now the lab worker’s mum, Svetlana Shipilova, has refuted claims that her daughter came into contact with the disease from a broken test tube. Svetlana, who is also a scientist, told the Russian outlet Glubina: ‘I know the truth.
‘I’m having to fend off stupid acquaintances who believed all this, the clever ones didn’t believe it, of course.
‘Not even all medical professionals understand it’s impossible to break a test tube like that.
‘Even if you fling it at the wall. Only an amateur could say something like that.
‘Even hypothetically, you simply can’t spill what’s inside or break the tube – they’re that well protected.’
Accusations against authorities
In since deleted posts, local officials claimed the scientist died of a plague infection. Svetlana claimed that the authorities ‘simply let my daughter die.’
Rumours have swirled about a possible second case of suspected plague. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labelled the reports as ‘false information.’
Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that he has spoken with Vladimir Putin. When the US president was asked whether the infection could be from a biological weapon, he replied: ‘We do not think so.
‘They are saying it is very much under control.
‘Russia is not saying much either.’
