Cases of dangerous disease decreasing in Azerbaijan

By Amina Nazarli

Some 266 cases of brucellosis were reported in Azerbaijan from January to August of current year, Department Head of the Epidemiology of Infectious and Special Dangerous Infectious Diseases of the Republican Anti-Plague Station Elmira Aliyeva said.

Brucellosis is one of the dangerous diseases. It is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals or close contacts with their secretions.

Aliyeva cited 19 cases of human infection in August, 27 cases in February, 30 in March, 45 in April, 42 in May, 36 in June, 37 in July and 30 cases in August were revealed in the country.

"During the reporting period, 24 cases of human infection were detected in Baku," she said. "The number of infection cases has reduced in comparison with last year. Veterinarians regularly conduct preventive measures, examining a large number of cattle and small cattle in order to identify brucellosis."

The disease usually begins with a high fever, which lasts for 7-10 days, but in case of absence of appropriate therapy, the temperature would keep up even by 2-3 months.

The fever is accompanied with chills, excessive sweating and general symptoms of intoxication. Later, it is joined by symptoms of musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular, nervous and other body systems.

"To avoid infection raw milk should be boiled before drinking, and cheese must be stored in salty water for 50-60 days. Unfortunately, sometimes these rules are not respected, which leads to infection," Aliyeva noted.

/AzerNews/