DUSHANBE, April 19, Asia-Plus - 15 residents of the Fayzobod district, some 50 kilometers east of Dushanbe, have been diagnosed with “leptospiroz” (Russian name of the disease) and hospitalized this week, Isokhon Gurezov, Deputy Head physician of Tajikistan’s Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe today.   

According to him, outbreak of this disease has been detected in the district in the beginning of this week and nidus of infection has already been localized.  Gurezov denied information about fatalities as “unfounded”.  Gurezov said that at present seven teams of the Ministry of health were working in the site to closely monitor the situation. 

Deputy Health Minister, Nigina Sharopova, continuing this subject noted that the nidus of the infection had appeared in the district after the Country Office of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) had implemented in the district the project on installation water pipeline. 

Ms. Sharopova claims that dead rodents died of leptospiroz were found on the junction of new and old tubes.  “Criminal proceedings have been instituted to investigate the matter,” Sharopova said, adding that Tajikistan has enough amount of Russian-made vaccine against this disease.