No epidemic-prone diseases detected in quake zone: Minister
ISTANBUL
Amid the growing concerns over the possibility of an epidemic in the quake-hit region of the country, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced that no infectious diseases have been detected so far, stressing that necessary measures are being taken to ensure public health and safety.
“In our tent cities, drinking water is distributed to quake survivors in packaged form, and the domestic water coming from tankers is chlorinated. We regularly monitor infectious disease data in the provinces of the quake region. In this context, no infectious disease outbreak has been detected so far,” Koca said, adding that 77 percent of the 2,632 water samples examined were microbiologically appropriate for use.
“In 11 provinces affected by the quakes, we have one case of chickenpox in Kahramanmaraş, and the patient is in isolation. Although the number of cases of acute intestinal infections increased, no outbreak was detected. We have a small number of patients hospitalized due to rotavirus infection in Gaziantep and Osmaniye, and some rotavirus and adenovirus infection cases in Adıyaman,” Koca said.
“While the number of cases of influenza and similar diseases has also increased, no epidemic situation has been going on so far. The jaundice case reported is a case of newborn jaundice, and no contagious jaundice amongst adults has been detected,” he informed.
In addition to these efforts, preventative measures are also being taken against infectious diseases. In this context, 248 personnel of the Gölcük Municipality working in the region are disinfecting and liming tent cities, and 200 personnel of the Gebze Municipality are trying to keep the environment of the region clean.
