NYT: Russia Has Yet To Identify The Pathogen That Killed The Plague Researcher
1- 11.10.2026, 11:56
A week has already passed since the incident.
More than a week has passed since the death of 28-year-old Daria Shipilova, an employee of the anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, yet Russian authorities have still not identified the pathogen that caused her fatal pneumonia. The lack of clear explanations is fueling fears and distrust of Moscow’s official statements, writes The New York Times.
Rospotrebnadzor reported that the deceased had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Tests did not reveal any known dangerous pathogens, including the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague. About 200 people who had been in contact with the woman were placed under medical observation. No new cases of the disease have been reported in the region.
The World Health Organization has requested additional information from Russia necessary to assess the situation. Experts point out that modern methods of genetic analysis allow for the relatively rapid identification of the pathogen, so the lack of published results raises questions.
Russian authorities stated that there was no laboratory accident and that contact tracing has been completed. However, the circumstances surrounding Shipilova’s death remain unclear. It is unknown exactly which microorganisms she was working with, where she might have become infected, and how the disease progressed.
The incident has raised alarm not only because of a possible outbreak of a dangerous infection. The lack of information is reminiscent of previous cases of the suppression of data on major epidemics and disasters in the USSR and Russia.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, international organizations have been paying particularly close attention to such situations. Until the cause of death is determined, the WHO cannot fully assess the risks, although there are currently no signs of a plague outbreak.
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