Russian health officials have denied that a Siberian scientist died from the plague, saying instead that she succumbed to pneumonia of an “unknown cause”. Daria Shipilova, 28, died after falling seriously ill in Shelekhov, Siberia, with multiple pro-Putin and independent media outlets, as well as a regional governor, initially claiming she had died from the ‘Black Death’ plague.
Officials reverse earlier claims
Health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor now says Shipilova’s diagnosis was “pneumonia of unknown aetiology” rather than the plague. Experts remain puzzled over the cause of her infection. Accounts that Shipilova became ill after breaking a test tube at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, where she worked, were denied after running in multiple media reports without official dispute for more than three days.
Earlier reports said Shipilova became infected after breaking a test tube containing the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, triggering fears of pneumonic plague, the highly dangerous lung form of the disease caused by the same bacterium responsible for the medieval Black Death.
Quarantine measures remain in place
Despite the denial, nearly 200 people who had contact with the anti-plague laboratory worker remain in strict quarantine or under observation. Three out of six hospitals in the nearest city, Irkutsk, are reported to be maintaining strict quarantine restrictions. University classes have been cancelled and workers at a giant aluminium smelter have been ordered to wear masks.
Three-week quarantine restrictions are active at Irkutsk City Clinical Hospitals Nos. 1, 3 and 10 and the Ivano-Matreninskaya Children's Hospital, as well as at least one maternity hospital, reports say. Relatives have been barred from wards, with claims medical staff are privately “talking about plague” even though this diagnosis is not on official documents.
Officials silent on crisis
Political insider channel Nezygar compared the case to China when Covid broke out. “The situation in Shelekhov, Irkutsk region... resembles the Wuhan case,” warned the outlet. Rospotrebnadzor in its statement failed even to mention that Shipilova had died. Officials said extensive tests on samples from the young scientist did not detect microorganisms linked to her work at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute.
They claimed an investigation found no accidents involving dangerous pathogens and a broken test tube at the high-security laboratory, contrary to earlier leaks widely reported in the Russian and international media. Based on available information, 189 people remain in quarantine in the Irkutsk region.
Russia's top public-health official Anna Popova, a Putin crony and epidemiologist, flew to Irkutsk at the start of the crisis last week but has not spoken on the crisis. Local governor Igor Kobzev was berated for ignoring the health scare and instead writing on his social media about fish soup. Residents expressed fury at his failure to explain the killer disease that was leading to mass quarantine.
The Irkutsk branch of Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation cancelled classes after staff were reportedly told it was because of a “case of pneumonic plague in Shelekhov”. The Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter in Shelekhov, which employs more than 2,000 people, ordered all workers to wear masks. Plant boss Artyom Fominykh complained of “many rumours and contradictory information”.
Buryatia governor Alexey Tsydenov initially said a woman in neighbouring Irkutsk region had “died of the plague”. His wording was subsequently altered to say she had “possibly” died from the disease. Officials insist the wider epidemiological situation remains stable, yet they have failed to explain why there is such a serious clampdown in place or explain the astonishing delay in claiming the condition was not pneumonic plague.
