{
  "id": 12195973,
  "title": "Darya Shipilova: Who was Russian anti-plague lab worker who died? Moscow accused of covering up leak",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/darya-shipilova-who-was-russian-anti-plague-lab-worker-who-died",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-05T17:16:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/world/darya-shipilova-russia-irkutsk-lab-worker-pneumonic-plague-death-shelekhov-10908058/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, passed away on October 2 after developing severe pneumonia of unknown origin. Her death has sparked a public-health scare in Russia, with rumors circulating that she may have contracted pneumonic plague, a respiratory form of the disease caused by Yersinia pestis. However, there is currently no confirmed evidence that Shipilova died from plague or that she contracted an infection through her work. The institute, which specializes in studying dangerous infectious diseases, including plague, has denied any laboratory accident involving pathogenic microorganisms. Close contacts of Shipilova are under observation, with around 200 people currently being monitored for potential exposure.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "SBU detains suspected FSB agent accused of directing Russian strikes on Kyiv",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/sbu-detains-suspected-fsb-agent-accused-of-directing-russian-strikes",
        "published": "2026-10-05T15:49:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "An activist challenged Russian officials after they blocked his protest against election fraud. Now he’s been jailed on drug charges and accused of ‘involvement in a Ukrainian armed group.’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/an-activist-challenged-russian-officials-after-they-blocked-his",
        "published": "2026-10-05T16:32:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Putin allows Italy's UniCredit banking group to reorganize, sell Russian subsidiary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/putin-allows-italys-unicredit-banking-group-to-reorganize-sell",
        "published": "2026-10-05T17:25:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}