The World Health Organisation has issued a warning concerning reports of a second suspected plague death in Russia and subsequent mass lockdown in Siberia.
Earlier this week, it was reported that lab worker Daria Shipilova, 28, died following an alleged accident at an anti-plague research facility in the city of Irkutsk. As per The Guardian, the fatal incident is rumored to have involved a broken test tube.
Shipilova is said to have fallen ill with flu-like symptoms before passing away. It has since been widely speculated that the cause of the sickness was pneumonic plague.
Russian authorities denied a connection with the institute in question, stating that Shipilova died from “pneumonia of an unknown aetiology”. They insisted that there is no danger of a much-feared plague outbreak, describing the situation in the region as stable.
The Guardian, however, report that sweeping quarantine measures were quickly enforced at the lab where Shipilova worked, as well as at hospitals in the nearby area. Staff are said to have been locked down inside the institute for three days while tests were conducted.
Amid concerns voiced by the masses online, Siberian regional media outlet Lyuni Baikal has reported on a second fatality at the same institute. This report has not yet been independently verified, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has given a statement.
“We don’t yet have the full picture of this event and we’re not able to conduct a full risk assessment,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said yesterday.
“Timely, complete and transparent information sharing is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public risks.”
Tedros went on to request an explanation from Russia regarding the reports of a second employee having succumbed to 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.”
Meanwhile, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management, Maria Van Kerkhove, said they had not been informed how Daria died. She reportedly asked, “What did she actually die of?”
Shipilova’s mother, Svetlana, gave an interview to Russia media following her daughter’s passing, challenging the narrative that a broken test tube had caused her death.
“I know the truth,” Svetlana said. “I’m fending off stupid friends who believe this. A test tube is unbreakable, even if you throw it against the wall.”
A former classmate of Daria added: “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 Baikal Medical Journal reported that officials in white hazmat suits and gas masks were seen disinfecting apartment blocks in Irkutsk, where Daria is believed to have resided.
“The smell was unbearable and very pungent,” one woman is reported to have 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.’”
On Tuesday of this week, US President Donald Trump revealed plans to speak with Vladimir Putin “very soon”.
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