Mother of dead Russian anti-plague institute worker: 'I know the truth'

The mother of Darya Shipilova, the 28-year-old Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East worker whose death has sparked global public health concerns, pushed back against reports her daughter was infected after she broke a test tube.

Svetlana Shipilova, who is a medical professional, told the Russian outlet Glubina that she does not believe the account circulating regarding her daughter's demise, according to The Telegraph.

"I know the truth," she reportedly said. "I’m having to fend off stupid acquaintances who believed all this — the clever ones didn’t believe it, of course.

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Darya Shipilova, 28, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, died after developing pneumonia of an unknown cause, prompting quarantines and heightened health precautions in the region. Russian authorities say testing has found no evidence her illness was linked to pathogens she worked with. (East2West news)

"Not even all medical professionals understand it’s impossible to break a test tube like that," she added. "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," the mother reportedly said. 

She also asserted to reporters, "They simply let my daughter die."

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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks on stage as he attends the The World Forum 2026 on the "Future of Democracy, AI/Tech, and Humankind" as part of the "Cinema for Peace" events in Berlin, on February 16, 2026. (Adam BERRY / AFP via Getty Images)

Russian public health agency Rospotrebnadzor has said that the woman died of "pneumonia of unknown origin" and that "extensive" testing uncovered no evidence the individual's illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted during remarks on Wednesday that "we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, and we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment."

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A view of the entrance to the grounds of the anti-plague institute in the city of Irkutsk on Oct. 7, 2026. (TATYANA MAKEYEVA / AFP via Getty Images)

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in part of a Tuesday post on X, "CDC is aware of and closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia that resulted in a death. We are working across the U.S. government to assess developments as additional information becomes available."

The Associated Press contributed to this report