Has the cholera entered Uzbekistan from Afghanistan? Nurmat Otabekov responds

The information that cholera, which had been detected in Afghanistan, entered Uzbekistan is completely incorrect.  To date, cholera has not been detected in Uzbekistan.  This was reported by the deputy head of the Service of Sanitary and Epidemiological well-being and Public Health Nurmat Otabekov.

He reported that cholera was one of the most dangerous, acute, infectious, intestinal diseases caused by small intestinal lesions, intoxication, deterioration of the general condition, and dehydration.

Cholera vibrio can live in river water from 18 days to 5 months, in ice for several months, in ditches for several days, in seawater for two weeks, in cold weather for several months in feces, in garbage pits for up to 3 months, in underwear up to 2 months, in sandy soil for several months, in water pools 15-30 days, in milk and oil up to a month, in potatoes up to 2 days, in wet fruits up to several days.

According to Otabekov, there are two types of cholera: classical cholera and cholera El-Tor. Accordingly, the cholera microbe (called vibrio) is divided into two types: the classic cholera vibrio and the vibrio el-Tor.  Disinfectants quickly kill vibrio.  Even in boiling water vibrio quickly dies.

“In the prevention of cholera it is important to provide the population with clean drinking water, regular treatment of contaminated wastewater, strict compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules and requirements at the enterprises of the food industry”, - Otabekov says.

It should be noted that the Kashkadarya Regional Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Public Health reported the detection of cholera vibrio in the sample of water taken from the section of the main channel of Karshi flowing through the territory of the neighborhood citizen’s gathering «Mirmiron» in the Karshi district.