The mother of a Russian scientist who died of the plague has refuted the theory about a broken test tube – New York Post

The mother of Russian scientist Daria Shipilova, who died in the hospital on October 2, denied reports that her daughter had been infected after she fell and broke a test tube containing a dangerous pathogen. The New York Post reported this, citing the mother, who also suggested that Russian officials “simply let my daughter die.”

Shipilova, 28, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East. She fell ill and died after reportedly dropping a test tube containing a dangerous pathogen.

Her mother, Svetlana Shipilova, who also works in the medical field, told the Russian publication Glubina that she does not believe this version of events. According to her, it is impossible to break such test tubes or spill their contents.

“I know the truth. I have to fend off foolish acquaintances who believed it. Intelligent people, of course, didn’t believe it. Not even all medical professionals understand that it’s impossible to break such a test tube. Not even if you throw it against a wall. Only an amateur would say something like that,” she said.

“They simply let my daughter die,” emphasized Svetlana Shipilova.

Russian officials have yet to disclose details about the circumstances under which Daria Shipilova contracted pneumonic plague, despite reports of possible exposure to the pathogen as a result of a laboratory incident. After her death, hundreds of people who had been in contact with her were placed under quarantine.

Moscow has confirmed only that the woman died of “pneumonia of unknown origin.” At the same time, experts are raising the question of whether the strain of plague that caused her death could have been modified as a potential biological weapon.

Former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield told NewsNation that in the event of a laboratory incident, a protocol involving the administration of antibiotics would have been followed. According to him, modifying the plague so that it does not respond to antibiotics could explain why the treatment was ineffective.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia had reported the incident to the World Health Organization and had followed international protocols. At the same time, he accused the media of spreading false information about the case.

Source: New York Post.

Russia informed the World Health Organization that there were no registered cases of a plague outbreak in the Irkutsk region.

In Russia’s Irkutsk region, 189 people were hospitalized following the death of a 28-year-old woman linked to an anti-plague institute. In total, authorities identified 197 people who may have come into contact with the deceased.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States is ready to assist Russia amid reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Irkutsk.