DUSHANBE, July 20, Asia-Plus — In Dushanbe, 43 persons have been diagnosed with typhoid over the first six months of this year, which is 12 percent fewer than in the same period of 2006, Samariddin Aliyev, director of the Republican Center for Sanitary-Epidemiological Supervision, told journalists in Dushanbe on July 20. 

According to him, the majority of those 43 persons are residents of the nearby districts subordinate to the center.  “Residents of the Vahdat, Varzob and Rudaki district are continuing to be hospitalized in Dushanbe on suspicion of having contracted the disease,” the center director said.  

According to him, the typhoid cases were apparently caused by use of unsafe water.  “In the Khatlon province, the typhoid cases were caused by increase of subsoil waters level, and the similar situation has also been reported in the northern district of Isfara,” Aliyev said.  

The Tajik head sanitary physician added that the break of acute intestinal infections caused by use of dirty water was registered in the city of Kulob in May.  “The outbreak has been localized and at present two persons diagnosed with typhoid are in isolation department of the Kulob hospital,” Aliyev said.  

According to him, the main reason for spread of typhoid is a failure to chlorinate the water supply.  

We will recall that the Khatlon health directorate head Fayzali Nazarov telling journalists in Qurghon Teppa noted that 154 cases of typhoid have been registered in the province over the first half-year of 2007.