Russia fears cholera outbreak

Rospotrebnadzor (the Russian Federal State Agency for Health and Consumer Rights) recommended regional administrations determine the categories of citizens subject to mandatory vaccination against cholera and ensure that hospitals are ready for anti-epidemic measures in case of outbreaks of cholera.

• Until June 1, it is recommended to conduct training exercises to develop an algorithm for interdepartmental interaction.
• The heads of the executive authorities of constituent entities are recommended to ensure that hospitals, laboratories and other medical organizations should carry out anti-epidemic measures by the beginning of summer in case cholera patients emerge.
• Top officials of the constituent entities were recommended to change plans for the sanitary protection of territories, taking into account the risk of the spread of cholera. Measures to provide the population with high-quality drinking water are also recommended.
• The population should be informed about measures to prevent the disease.

It is recommended that the heads of Rospotrebnadzor departments in Rostov, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk regions, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and Sevastopol expand the scope of monitoring research and increase the frequency of water sampling.

Cholera is a highly contagious disease that can cause severe, acute, watery diarrhea. It takes from 12 hours to 5 days between the ingestion of contaminated food or water and the onset of symptoms in a sick person. Cholera affects both children and adults and, if left untreated, may lead to death within hours, according to the World Health Organization website.

Cholera is easily curable. Most patients can be successfully cured of the disease by the timely administration of oral rehydration salt solutions.

According to researchers' estimates, up to 4 million cases of cholera and 21,000-143,000 cholera-related deaths occur each year worldwide.