Health Ministry: No high risks of disease spread - Kazakhstan collects samples of floodwater at anthrax and animal burials
The sanitary and epidemiological situation in the regions affected by floods in Kazakhstan is stable, vice minister of health and chief medical officer Aizhan Yessmagambetova said, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Kazakh chief medical officer Yessmagambetova said that the sanitary and epidemiological service of the country has been working in an intensive mode since the beginning of flooding, mostly focusing on the prevention of infectious diseases, which can be caused by floods. Among such diseases are acute intestinal infections, cholera, typhoid fever and hepatitis A, she added.
Yessmagambetova said that the service’s work aimed at preventing outbreaks.
As of today, the sanitary and epidemiological situation is stable in general. Since the onset of the flooding period, over 10 thousand samples of water from both centralized and decentralized water supply sources have been studied. There are no danger of transmission and emergence of water-borne infections. In addition, drinking water and river water are also being studied… Wastewater is also being studied to know what microorganisms circulate among the population or, so to speak, to know whether have there been any changes in the flora before and after the floods, said the Kazakh chief medical officer.
She pointed out that the results of the studies of river waters are within the hygienic standards. No pathogenic microflora, nor viruses have been detected.
The epidemiologically significant facilities affected by flooding are under special control, said Yessmagambetova. Disinfection measures are being carried out in those regions, where floodwaters receded.
As for animal burial sites, there are no high risks, as very strict requirements are applied there. Despite this, samples of waters and ground at the anthrax burials and cattle burials are being collected together with the veterinary service. So far, the results are negative, said Kazakh chief medical officer Yessmagambetova.
