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, said the governor of the province, Abdullah Keklyu.
Mass visits to hospitals began on Friday, October 9th. During this period, a total of 70 people were hospitalized, with 30 currently undergoing inpatient treatment.
Specialists have taken samples of drinking water in the city and sent them to Ankara for testing. The Ministry of Health must determine whether the water supply has become the source of infection.
“We don’t know yet if drinking water is the source of the infection,” Keklyu stated, adding that they hope to receive necessary information from the Ministry of Health based on test results.
Due to the situation, local schools suspended classes for a day. On Monday, October 12th, educational premises were disinfected, and classes are set to resume on Tuesday.
The number of salmonellosis cases is rising across Turkey, with most infections transmitted through prepared foods. In September, a mass poisoning incident affected Russian tourists at a five-star hotel in Alanya’s Konakli district, where guests reported acute intestinal infections.
