The World Health Organization says it still lacks the “full picture” from Russia after a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Siberia was suspected of dying from plague last week.
Darya Shipilova died two days after developing symptoms resembling a cold. She worked at an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk, eastern Russia, and some reports have suggested that a workplace accident may have exposed her to infection.
Russian officials have rejected any link to the institute, saying Shipilova died of “pneumonia of an unknown aetiology”. They maintain that there is no threat of a plague outbreak and describe the region’s “sanitary and epidemiological” conditions as stable.
However, authorities have introduced extensive quarantine measures at the institute and nearby hospitals. Employees were confined inside the facility for three days while tests were carried out, sleeping on floors and chairs.
On Wednesday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “We don’t yet have the full picture of this event and we’re not able to conduct a full risk assessment.
“Timely, complete and transparent information sharing is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public risks.”
Tedros also called for clarification from the Russian government after unconfirmed media reports claimed that a second employee had developed “pneumonia of undetermined cause”.
“We assess any reporting from the community,” he said. “We asked Russia to respond to that. We’re waiting for an answer.”
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management, said the agency did not yet know how Shipilova had become infected or which disease was responsible. If pneumonic plague had been excluded, Kerkhove asked, “what did she actually die from?”
Shipilova’s 64-year-old mother, Svetlana, dismissed claims that her daughter was infected after breaking a test tube. “I know the truth. I’m fending off stupid friends who believe this. A test tube is unbreakable, even if you throw it against the wall,” she told local media.
She portrayed her daughter as a devoted employee and a “pure person” who cared deeply about her work.
Former classmates have likewise questioned whether the infection occurred at the institute. One reportedly said: “They’ve smeared a woman without properly investigating. Knowing how hard-working and responsible she was, it just doesn’t add up for me.”
The Kremlin has attempted to play down the case and rejected an offer of help made earlier in the week by Donald Trump, then president of the United States. The White House has asked Moscow for further information while emphasising that the risk to the US remains very low.
Trump said on Tuesday that he would discuss the plague concerns “very soon” with Vladimir Putin, who turned 74 on Wednesday. The Kremlin said no conversation had been scheduled, although one could be arranged quickly.
The Baikal Medical Journal reported that health officials in Irkutsk had taken broad steps to prevent a possible outbreak. Residents said people wearing white protective suits and gas masks repeatedly disinfected the two-storey brick building where Shipilova lived after her death the previous Friday.
“The smell was unbearable and very pungent,” a woman in her 40s said. “A woman knocked on our door. I said: ‘What are you treating here?’ I already knew about the plague rumours.
“She said: ‘It’s for cockroaches.’ But we don’t even have any cockroaches in our building. I saw her packing her overalls into a bag. I was like, ‘Well, I get it.’”
