The Amur is dangerous for swimming

Experts of the sanitary epidemiological service have found pathogenes of the enteroviral infection Koksaki 3 B in the Amur waters near the beaches of Khabarovsk (centre of the Khabarovsk Territory, Russia's Far East). This was reported by Yuri Garbuz, the city's chief state sanitary doctor on Wednesday. "The virus causes various grave diseases, including serous viral meningitis," he said. "The city hospital physicians have reported an increase in the number of children diagnozed that disease, for whom it is particularly dangerous. On the whole, the number of people who have caught it has grown three-fold," said Garbuz.

Experts are also noting a rise in the level of the micro-biological pollution of the Amur river in the area of Khabarovsk. In some places it is almost 300 times above norm.

On Wednesday medical workers sent the mayor's office a recommendation that the city beaches be closed, since swimming in the Amur is dangerous at present.