The mother of Darya Shipilova, the 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East whose death has triggered international public health concerns, has rejected claims that her daughter became infected after breaking a test tube.
Svetlana Shipilova, herself a medical professional, told the Russian publication Glubina that she does not accept the account circulating about her daughter’s death, according to The Telegraph.
“I know the truth,” she reportedly said. “I have had to deal with foolish acquaintances who believed all of this. The intelligent ones, naturally, did not.”
Shipilova, 28, died after developing pneumonia of unknown origin, prompting quarantines and increased health precautions in the region. Russian officials say tests found no evidence that her illness was connected to the pathogens handled at the institute. (East2West news)
“Not even every medical professional understands that it is impossible to break a test tube in that way,” her mother said. “Even if you throw it against a wall. Only an amateur would make such a claim.”
“Even in theory, you cannot spill the contents or break the tube. They are protected that thoroughly.”
She also told reporters: “They simply allowed my daughter to die.”
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during the World Forum 2026 session on the “Future of Democracy, AI/Tech, and Humankind,” held as part of the Cinema for Peace events in Berlin on Feb. 16, 2026. (Adam Berry/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian authorities have released few details about the case. They have said only that Shipilova developed pneumonia of “unknown” origin and that tests did not detect the pathogens she worked with.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that “we don’t yet have the full picture of this event, and we are not able to conduct a full risk assessment.”
The entrance to the anti-plague institute grounds in Irkutsk, photographed Oct. 7, 2026. (Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images)
“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,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in part of a post Tuesday on X.
“We are working across the U.S. government to evaluate developments as more information becomes available.”