A statement by the Ministry of Health yesterday indicated that after the appearance of the diarrhea cases, which started on May 13 in Aksaray and on May 16 in Şereflikoçhisar, the ministry sent a team of specialists to the region to take water samples from drinking water sources and blood samples from the patients."According to the results of the tests, various viruses including adenovirus, rotavirus and norovirus, plus some E. coli bacteria caused the diarrhea. The outbreak started due to contamination in the water and grew with person-to-person and other types of transmission," officials stated.
The statement also noted that in Aksaray water contamination occurred during repair work on the local pipe system and in Şereflikoçhisar the cause was inadequate chlorine levels. "In both regions, chlorine levels were checked and brought to the required levels," one official stated.
Hospitals saw more than 4,000 people admitted with complaints of diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pains early last week. Aksaray Governor Sebati Buyuran said the cases only require outpatient treatment and that the number of people coming to the hospitals with similar complaints has gradually been decreasing.
Meanwhile, health teams started taking water samples in the eastern city of Siirt because of several cases of diarrhea. Officials said water contamination in the city most likely occurred due to ongoing replacement of water and sewer pipes. Water quality specialists will check the levels of chlorine more often in the area and increase it when necessary, they noted.
After the outbreak in Aksaray, experts from the Health Ministry advised people to wash fruit and vegetables well before eating them and to boil water that will be used for drinking purposes. They also said basic rules of hygiene, including washing hands, should be observed.
Same problem in Konya
A health official in Konya has said approximately 400 people applied to hospitals in the central Anatolian city with symptoms of diarrhea. Bahaattin Akyürek, deputy manager of Konya City Health Office, indicated in a written statement that 393 patients applied to Konya hospitals with diarrhea symptoms and eight have been hospitalized. Almost all of the patients had abdominal pain, diarrhea and low grade fever.
"Stool samples taken from the patients have not produced significant results," Akyürek stated. "Water examinations have not revealed negative outcomes either. We need more time to take results of our more complicated tests."
Benzer Haberler 
National
