Moldova runs the risk of epidemics after floods

Moldovan doctors are concerned with the sanitary and epidemiologic situation in the country in the aftermath of floods that hit Moldova in late July, Health Minister Larisa Catrinici told a news conference on Tuesday, 5 August.

People were warned about the fact that flooded wells and aqueducts pose major risk of infection with such acute diarrhoeal diseases as dysentery, salmonella, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis A, cholera, leptosporidiosis, anthrax and tetanus.

Despite the fact that no increase in the number of cases of such diseases has been recorded so far, the danger still exists because the incubation period can last from one week to one month, Catrinici said.

Presently, the National Scientific and Practical Centre of Preventive Medicine, the public district centres of preventive medicine and the medical-sanitary institutions work on around-the-clock basis to monitor and analyse the sanitary and epidemiologic situation in the country. Now that the level of water is decreasing in the flooded areas, specialists are cleaning up and disinfecting wells. But the process unfolds rather difficult because water returns into wells from the polluted soil. Concurrently, the bodies in charge disinfect aqueducts.

Specialists in preventive medicine and the public medical and sanitary institutions inform the population from the flood-hit regions about the danger of infectious diseases and prophylaxis measures. At the same time, the Health Ministry is purchasing vaccines against viral hepatitis A for children aged between 3 and 14 from the affected settlements.