Moldova fears cholera outbreaks after Russians blow up Kakhovka HPP
The National Agency for Public Health of Moldova (ANSP) is wary of outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases that could threaten the country's citizens due to the environmental disaster caused by the Russian military's blowing up of the Kakhovka dam.
This is reported by NewsMaker.
According to the ANSP, they are closely monitoring the epidemic situation in both Moldova and Ukraine and note that a large number of hazardous substances have entered the water following the Russian-organized terrorist attack. In particular, these include pathogens of acute infectious diseases that are easily spread by running water. Currently, there is a high risk of an outbreak of intestinal infections, hepatitis, botulism, cholera, and even anthrax. Also, there is a risk of spreading diseases that can be carried by rodents, such as leptospirosis and tularemia.
he Agency called on Moldovan citizens planning to visit Odesa or the Black Sea coast to strictly follow the established recommendations of local authorities. At the same time, remember the basic rules of hygiene - wash your hands and food thoroughly, consume only bottled water, and, in case of the first signs of illness, seek medical attention immediately.
To recap, on the night of June 6, Russians blew up the Kakhovka dam causing an uncontrolled water drop. The flooding rapidly spread over an area of at least 5,000 sq. km.
In addition to residential and office buildings, cemeteries, cattle cemeteries, burial sites and other points of concentration of deadly diseases were submerged. Moreover, the water flooded numerous enterprises storing toxic substances, in particular, an oil refinery.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba called Russia's terrorist actions "the largest man-made disaster in Europe in recent decades."
Subsequently, UN Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths noted that about 700,000 people need clean drinking water as a result of the Kakhovka HPP explosion and warned that people have become more vulnerable to various diseases with children being the most at risk.
At the same time, experts believe that the dam destruction is likely to lead to a severe global food crisis and a significant increase in commodity prices. After all, the water destroyed crops and infrastructure in one of the most developed agricultural regions of Ukraine.