CALGARY — Russian authorities are dismissing reports of a second suspected plague infection in Siberia as ''false,'' declaring that medical checks have been completed following the mysterious death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at one of the country's anti-plague research institutes.Russia's federal public-health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said Thursday that reports of another person becoming ill after contact with deceased researcher Darya Shipilova were inaccurate.The agency rejected what it described as "fake information" circulating on social media about a second case, according to Reuters.The denial comes days after Russian media reports claimed another person had died at a hospital in the Irkutsk region after allegedly contracting plague.Neither the reported second death nor a second plague infection has been independently confirmed..Russian authorities maintain that no additional infections have been identified among Shipilova's known contacts and that there is no evidence of an outbreak.Rospotrebnadzor also announced Thursday that health checks on people who had contact with Shipilova have been completed, marking another step toward ending the emergency precautions introduced following her death.Shipilova, 28, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, where scientists study dangerous infectious diseases, including Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague.She died October 2 after developing severe pneumonia that Russian authorities have described as being of undetermined origin.Her death prompted officials to quarantine or place under medical observation approximately 200 people who may have come into contact with her.On Wednesday, Rospotrebnadzor reported that nearly 5,000 laboratory tests had found no dangerous pathogens and that more than 90% of those initially quarantined had been released.Russian officials have also said examinations of Shipilova's body did not identify microorganisms associated with her laboratory work..Shipilova's mother has publicly challenged reports surrounding her daughter's death, accusing medical staff of failing to save the 28-year-old researcher.Speaking to independent Russian outlet Glubina, Svetlana Shipilova disputed claims that her daughter became infected after accidentally breaking a test tube containing dangerous biological material.The 64-year-old healthcare worker argued that containers used to handle such pathogens are heavily protected and questioned whether the alleged accident could have occurred as described.“I’ve saved more than one patient like Darya, but they didn’t save my daughter,” Shipilova said. “They just let my daughter die.”“She hasn't been buried yet. Who is going to bury her if we are sitting here imprisoned?” she questioned.She also accused medical staff of failing to provide adequate care, although those allegations have not been independently substantiated.Svetlana said she was still awaiting official documentation identifying her daughter's cause of death and expressed frustration over quarantine restrictions affecting the family's ability to arrange a funeral.Her comments add another dimension to the case as Russian authorities reject reports of additional infections while international health officials continue seeking clarification about what killed Shipilova..The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to seek additional information about the circumstances surrounding Shipilova's death.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization had requested clarification about the cause of her severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the extensive public-health response and reports involving another employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause. The WHO has not confirmed that a second employee contracted plague or that another person died from the disease.The organization has assessed the wider public-health risk as low based on currently available information, while stressing the importance of timely and transparent communication.The incident has also drawn attention from Washington, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously called on Russia to provide additional information, saying American officials were following developments "very closely, hour by hour."President Donald Trump also weighed in Wednesday, saying he believed Moscow had the situation under control.Asked about speculation that Shipilova's death could have involved a biological weapon, Trump said the United States did not believe that was the case. Russia has repeatedly rejected suggestions that the incident involved a laboratory accident or an uncontrolled infectious disease outbreak.The case has also generated competing theories about how Shipilova became ill, including speculation involving a broken laboratory test tube and possible exposure during field research near the Mongolian border.
