Spread of cholera from uncontrolled territories is possible only if you consume contaminated water or direct contact with patients or vibrio carriers, cholera is not transmitted through airborne droplets, assured infectious disease doctor, medical consultant of CSD LAB laboratory Lesya Lozko.
“It has to be contact. If there are sick people there and it is possible to move them from the occupied territories to ours, then there is a risk of spread. Cholera is not transmitted by airborne droplets, that is, there must be either household contact or spread through contaminated water,” she explained to the agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
At the same time, the expert noted that so far there is no official confirmation of cholera outbreaks in non-controlled territories.
“Reliable information from the uncontrolled territories, unfortunately, we can not receive,” she said.
At the same time Lozko noted that now there is a seasonal increase in acute intestinal diseases, but it is within the standard seasonal fluctuations.
Commenting on the information about the detection of cholera-like vibrios, the expert noted that the outbreak of intestinal diseases can be prevented by observing sanitary and hygienic rules, in particular hand washing, drinking bottled water and thermal treatment of food products.
Lozko reminded that cholera-like vibrios do not cause cholera, but acute intestinal infections, which have symptoms characteristic of these diseases, but not so often lead to catastrophic dehydration of the body, which can provoke lethal outcome.
At the same time, Lozko noted that outbreaks of acute intestinal diseases are possible in closed groups, such as boarding schools and nursing homes, as well as among the military.
At the same time, the expert noted that there is no increase in demand for tests for acute intestinal diseases.
As reported, according to the General Staff of the AFU, in the temporarily occupied by the Russians cities of Skadovsk and Genichesk, Kherson region, the incidence of acute intestinal infections is increasing, the nature of the course of the disease has signs of cholera, but the occupation authorities do not recognize the increase in the number of diseases and are trying to hide the deterioration of the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the region. According to the General Staff, the occupants carry out hidden vaccination against cholera of representatives of the administrations and their close entourage.
In turn, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine records a constant and significant microbial contamination of surface water bodies belonging to the Black Sea, the rivers Dnieper, Ingul, Ingulets, Southern Bug and estuaries. Thus, according to the results of research, exceeding of sanitary-chemical, microbiological and toxicological characteristics was recorded. Among the dangerous – salmonella, eggs and larvae of helminths, Escherichia coli, rotavirus. Cholera-like vibrios are also detected.
