The doctor spoke about cholera in the Tambov region among the Indians from the sewing shop

Six Indian citizens who worked at a clothing factory in the Tambov region were hospitalized with suspected cholera. In two, the disease was confirmed, four are in the boxes of the obstetric department, awaiting test results. All patients lived in a hostel for migrants in the town of Rasskazovo, thirty kilometers from Tambov.

The Indians flew from Delhi to Moscow on 13 July. Four days later, 23-year-old Mohammad found himself in a medical facility with characteristic symptoms of cholera, and 23-year-old Alam three days later.

As soon as the doctors identified the causative agent of the infection in the first sick person, Rospotrebnadzor specialists began to check his colleagues and passengers of the flight. Now, people who have been in contact with the sick are being tested.

“Single deliveries of cholera to Russia occur quite often, almost every year, and it happens that twice a year,” said Nikolay Malyshev, doctor of medical sciences, professor, infectious disease specialist, to MK. – This infection has a high contagiousness (contagiousness), but, as a rule, it does not spread widely in our country, since the sanitary and epidemiological supervision service works very well. People with suspected cholera are immediately isolated, contacts are interrupted.

– Nikolai Alexandrovich, how does a doctor understand that a patient is sitting in front of him, who, most likely, fell ill with cholera?

– In the detection of infection in the first place is always the collection of an epidemic history – information about the contacts of the patient, about his stay in endemic regions. The specialist checks whether the patient has come from an area where cholera occurs quite often. And there are very, very many such territories on the globe.

– Where, besides India, is this dangerous infection common?

– Africa, all of Southeast Asia, many states in South America. By the way, Russians don’t go there very often. It turns out that it is the inhabitants of these territories who catch the infection at home and are already bringing it to us.

– What is the clinical picture of cholera?

– Interesting enough. In the first two or three days – vomiting, nausea, diarrhea up to ten times a day, dry mouth, excruciating thirst. These are obvious signs, you should immediately be alert. If the disease has gone far – the body becomes dehydrated, the “washerwoman’s hand” appears, when the skin of the hands and feet becomes wrinkled, like a deep old man, facial features are sharpened.

– And if far from all the signs are present?

– The rule for infectious disease specialists is this: as soon as you suspect a dangerous disease, even if you put question marks, that is, you are not completely sure, you need to treat this patient as if you were already obviously sick. Especially if the suspicion concerns cholera. We immediately take tests, since the results are now coming quickly. Express analysis in special laboratories is done in five hours.

If medical attention is not provided, the likelihood of death is high. And if the doctors found and began to treat the patient in time, to produce intravenous infusions of special solutions and other manipulations, mortality is practically excluded.

– Will sick Indians be expelled from Russia to their homeland after recovery?

– On the contrary, leave. They will be treated, they will bring their health back to normal. Let them work on.

– Are the clothes that sick Indians sewn dangerous for those who will wear them?

– If you immediately put on sewn things, it’s dangerous. But, as I understand it, in this particular case, no one will immediately put on new clothes. She was sewn, assembled, prepared for shipment, transported by land. Before these things reach the people who wear them, it will take several hours. Bacteria, if they get on clothes, by that time they will “dry up” and cease to be dangerous. So no big deal.

We must remember that in the summer there are a lot of other infectious intestinal diseases, so be very careful, says Nikolai Malyshev. “The main rule is to wash your hands before eating and do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables,” says the professor.

What else needs to be done in order not to get sick:

– drink only boiled or bottled water;

– do not buy food from the hands;

– swim only in permitted places, avoid getting water in the nose and mouth;

– when cooking, use different knives and boards for boiled and raw foods.

Experts strongly recommend that you consult a doctor at the first sign of an intestinal infection.