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Kremlin 'gags' plague scientist's family as WHO probes 'unanswered questions' over Siberian lab death

Darya Shipilova, the plague scientist whose mother Svetlana accused doctors of abandoning her — "They simply let my daughter die" — before relatives fell silent under reported official pressure.
Darya Shipilova, the plague scientist whose mother Svetlana accused doctors of abandoning her — "They simply let my daughter die" — before relatives fell silent under reported official pressure.

Russia's silence over the death of Darya Shipilova, 28, has deepened after her father and brother refused to speak about the case, fuelling fears the Kremlin has pressured the family. The WHO says it still does not know what killed the researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, and a lab accident cannot be ruled out. Russian-born US infectious-disease expert Mikhail Favorov has concluded she contracted plague at work, telling reporters: 'She went to work and carried out her duties.'

Shipilova's mother Svetlana, a doctor who accused medics of abandoning her daughter, has suddenly gone quiet, sparking suspicions she has been silenced.

The Kremlin has only said Shipilova died from 'pneumonia of unknown aetiology', and Russia has still not publicly identified the pathogen that killed her ten days ago.

Comparisons to COVID's early cover-up are growing, with experts warning pandemic preparedness means nothing if countries withhold information on biological threats.

MoreThe TelegraphRussian secrecy around the Siberian plague outbreak is deeply troublingThe GuardianAs a scientist, here's what worries me about the suspected Russian plague victimThe TelegraphWHO probes ‘unanswered questions’ over Russian plague worker
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