DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- An outbreak of typhoid fever has been reported in Tajikistan, local media said Thursday.
Over the past three weeks, more than 760 people have been hospitalized on suspicion of the disease, of which 265 have tested positive for typhoid. Nina Kravchenko, the head of the city's health administration, was quoted by the Tajik Asia-Plus news agency as saying only one death had occurred from typhoid in Dushanbe since the beginning of October.
Kravchenko said the typhoid outbreak in the city, which has a population of nearly 1 million, had been caused by dirty water, lack of collection of trash and refuse, and non-observance of elementary rules of hygiene.
According to the World Health Organization, Salmonella typhi, the disease organism, is recognized by sudden and sustained fever, severe headache, nausea and severe loss of appetite. It can be accompanied by hoarse cough and either constipation or diarrhea. With appropriate therapy, fatality rates can be lowered to less than 1 percent, the WHO advises.
