“I know the truth”: the mother of a deceased employee of the Anti-Plague Institute speaks out

The mother of Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East whose death sparked global public health concerns, objected to reports that her daughter was infected after breaking a test tube.

Svetlana Shipilova, who is a medical professional, told Russian media outlet Glubina that she did not believe the reports circulating regarding her daughter’s death, according to The Telegraph.

“I know the truth,” she reportedly said. “I have to fend off stupid acquaintances who believed all this. The smarter ones didn’t believe it, of course.

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Darya Shipilova, 28, an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia and the Far East, died from pneumonia of unknown origin, leading to quarantines and increased health precautions in the region. Russian authorities say tests found no evidence that her illness was linked to pathogens she worked with. (East2West news)

“Even all medical professionals don’t understand that you can’t break a test tube like that,” she added. “Even if you throw it against the wall. Only an amateur would say something like that.

“Even hypothetically, you just can’t spill what’s inside or break the tube. They’re so well protected.”

She also told reporters: “They just let my daughter die.”

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World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks on stage during the 2026 Global Forum on “The Future of Democracy, AI/Technology and Humanity” as part of the Cinema for Peace events in Berlin, February 16, 2026. (Adam Berry/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia’s public health agency Rospotrebnadzor said the woman died of “pneumonia of unknown origin” and that “extensive” testing revealed no evidence that the individual’s illness was caused by any of the pathogens she worked with.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech Wednesday that “we do not yet have a complete picture of this event and we are not able to make 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, October 7, 2026. (Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images)

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“CDC is aware of and closely following reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in the Irkutsk region of Russia that resulted in one death,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in part of an article published Tuesday on X.

“We are working across the U.S. government to assess developments as additional information becomes available.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report