DUSAHNBE, April 20, Asia-Plus - Representatives from the AKF MSDSP have expressed concern about cases of leptospiroz (Russian name of the disease) infection detected in the Fayzobod district.   

Today, a group of specialists from the AKF MSDSP left for the place where the infection had been detected to study the situation, according to information from the AKF Country Office in Dushanbe .  

The source says this trip is connected with accusations against the AKF that were sounded at a news conference hosted by the Ministry of Health yesterday.  

We will recall that during the news conference was reported that 15 residents of the village of Mehrobod in the Fayzobod district had been diagnosed with “leptospiroz” infection and hospitalized this week.  Isokhon Gurezov, Deputy Head Physician of Tajikistan ’s Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision, speaking to journalists noted that the cases of the disease had been detected in the district in the beginning of this week and nidus of infection had already been localized.  Deputy Health Minister, Nigina Sharopova, continuing this subject noted that the nidus of the infection had appeared in the area after the Country Office of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in Tajikistan had implemented in the district the project on installation of water pipeline.  Ms. Sharopova claimed that dead rodents died of leptospiroz were found on the junction of new and old tubes.  She said that criminal proceedings had been instituted to investigate the matter.   

In the meantime, according to information from the AKF Dushanbe Office, MSDPS successfully completed the water supply project in Mehrobod last year already and there have been no any problems until today.  

The AKF employees plan to meet with representatives from the Fayzobod health department and local sanitary-epidemiological station to find out the cause of the infection.  

“Press release on the results of the trip will be published in Tajikistan ’s media in near future,” the source said.