Russian plague scare: Dead scientist may have to be buried in metal coffin with disinfectant-soaked material

Daria Shipilova, a 28-year-old Russian laboratory scientist who died under mysterious circumstances, may have to be buried under special conditions if authorities determine that plague was involved.

According to an AOL report, Russian regulations require special precautions when handling the body of a person who has died from plague. The body must be wrapped in material soaked in disinfectant and treated with calcium hypochlorite or chloramine before being placed in a metal coffin. A tightly sealed wooden coffin lined with impermeable material may also be used to prevent bodily fluids from escaping. An official evacuation team is then responsible for transporting the coffin to a cemetery or crematorium. Cremation is also permitted, although it is relatively uncommon in Russia, the report said.

Meanwhile, Shipilova's mother, Dr Svetlana, said in an interview published Tuesday that her daughter's body had not yet been buried and that no funeral date had been set. She was speaking while still under quarantine. “Who is going to bury her if we are sitting here imprisoned?” she said.


Russian authorities have not publicly disclosed details about the funeral arrangements or when Shipilova will be buried.

Who was Daria Shipilova?

Shipilova worked as a researcher at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute. She died on October 2, 2026, after being hospitalized in Shelekhov, a town near Irkutsk.

Her death has attracted international attention because of reports suggesting that she may have contracted pneumonic plague. However, Russian authorities have not confirmed that she died from plague.

Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer and public health watchdog, said Shipilova had been diagnosed with “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” meaning the cause of the illness had not been established.

A hospital was quarantined and people who had contact with the scientist were placed under monitoring following her death.

WHO seeks answers over reported second infection

Concerns increased after reports emerged that another person may have developed an illness potentially linked to the case.

The World Health Organization has sought additional information from Russian authorities about the incident, including the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures and reports of another employee suffering from pneumonia of undetermined cause.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Russian health authorities had told the organization that no recent plague case had been registered in Irkutsk oblast.

Russian authorities also reported that an epidemiological investigation had been carried out, preventive measures had been implemented and identified contacts had been tested and placed under medical observation. No high-threat pathogens were detected among the contacts, according to the WHO.

Notabley, another WHO offial said the agency still did not know what the “causative agent” was behind Shipilova's death.

“We don’t understand how she was infected,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of Epidemic and Pandemic Management.

Russia has maintained that Shipilova died from pneumonia, which it described as a typical acute respiratory viral infection. The WHO has noted that pneumonia is common but said more information was needed to clarify the circumstances surrounding the case.

Why is pneumonic plague causing concern?

Pneumonic plague and bubonic plague are caused by the same bacterium, Yersinia pestis, according to Simon Clarke of the University of Reading in the UK.

Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can occur when the bacteria are inhaled. Unlike bubonic plague, which is commonly associated with flea bites from infected rodents, pneumonic plague can spread between people through respiratory particles.

The disease is considered the most severe form of plague and can progress rapidly. The WHO says its incubation period can be as short as 24 hours.

Untreated pneumonic plague can be fatal, but early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can significantly improve the chances of recovery.

With agency inputs