Russian squirrels may be the real source of a suspected plague linked to the death of a scientist, it has been claimed, after her friends sparked fears of a Kremlin cover-up.
Lab worker Daria Shipilova, 28, died last week after reportedly falling ill at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Unverified Russian media reports claimed the medical biochemistry expert allowed the airborne disease to escape by dropping a test tube inside the high-security facility.
Friends cast doubt on lab accident theory
However, friends of the researcher have poured cold water on the lab leak claims, hinting that she may have picked up the bug from plague-infested squirrels during a recent expedition close to the Mongolian border.
Before her death, Daria was part of a research mission to Buryatia, near Mongolia, where wild squirrels naturally carry Yersinia pestis - the bacteria responsible for the Black Death, reports The Sun. The animals carry infected fleas that pass on bubonic plague, which can quickly mutate into lethal pneumonic plague and spread through respiratory droplets.
Officials accused of scrubbing references
Federal-backed media outlet Mash originally said Daria had returned from the work trip shortly before falling ill, but officials hastily tried to scrub references to the expedition.
Buryatia governor Alexei Tsydenov initially denied she had ever visited the region, before editing his post to state she had "possibly" died of plague. State media outlets like REN TV also deleted social media posts regarding the outbreak, while local authorities wiped warnings advising residents against travelling to the area.
Despite the Kremlin's shifting story, with officials claiming she died of an "unidentified pneumonia", friends have cast doubt on the lab accident claim.
Colleague shows no symptoms
Those close to the 2022 Irkutsk State Medical University graduate say security at the Siberian lab is so tight that staff wear full hazmat suits, and that glass test tubes aren't even used in the facility.
As per The Sun, one university classmate, Valentina, said: "We are all in shock, especially over the accusations that Daria broke a test tube and kept quiet. In our zone there weren't even any glass test tubes - only plastic. So all these accusations against Daria are simply shocking to us."
Valentina added: "Beyond the safe zone everyone wears full protective equipment – a special suit and mask. Personal belongings and phones are not allowed. I don't know what would have to happen for infection to even be possible - a micro-tear in a glove combined with a breach of the rules, perhaps bringing a hand close to the face? I don't know, it seems unlikely."
Daria died three days after being placed on a hospital ventilator on October 2. A colleague who worked closely alongside her has shown no symptoms - further fuelling claims the infection was caught out in the field rather than inside the lab.
Around 200 people who came into contact with Daria have now been placed under strict quarantine, while five local hospitals and a satellite town of 2,000 factory workers have been put on high alert amid fears of an airborne spread. Terrified pregnant locals have even been forced to fill out "checklists for suspected plague disease" before entering maternity wards, as fears grow over the lethal bug.
