The reason for the mass poisoning of children in the Dagestan city of Buinaksk was contaminated drinking water.

This was reported by the press service of the Rospotrebnadzor department for the region.

The department clarified that during laboratory tests in a sample of tap water and 12 materials from patients, "DNA of bacteria of the genus Shigella (lat. Shigella) and campylobacterium (lat. Campylobacter)" were isolated.

"According to preliminary data from the epidemiological investigation, the alleged factor of transmission of the infection was contaminated drinking water supplied to the population with violations of sanitary legislation," Rospotrebnadzor said.

According to the ministry, from January 11 to 13, 71 cases of acute intestinal infection were recorded in the city, of which 61 cases were diagnosed in children under the age of 17.

Among the cases, 55 people were hospitalized, 45 of them were children.

Rospotrebnadzor urged residents to use exclusively boiled or bottled water, not to use raw tap water to wash vegetables and fruits, and also to observe the rules of personal hygiene.

Also, the press service of the department said that by the decision of the operational headquarters, the city's kindergartens will be closed.

Meanwhile, local authorities said they had organized the delivery of water to all districts of Buinaksk. 

“An unfavorable situation has developed in the city, associated with mass poisoning and acute intestinal infection.

Before identifying the causes of the poisoning, please use only bottled water.

The city administration will organize delivery of water by water carriers to all sections and districts of the city, ”the mayor's office said.

They clarified that the water delivery schedule will be published on the official website of Buinaksk, as well as in the administration's accounts on social networks.

The chief physician of the central city hospital of Buinaksk, Magomed Magomedov, said that there were no serious cases among patients.

“All patients undergo a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

The hospitals have all the necessary medications, patients receive therapy in accordance with the existing pathology, ”the press service of the mayor's office quotes him.

Magomedov added that all the admitted children have the same symptoms - high fever, intestinal upset, nausea and headache.

In a conversation with reporters, the head physician clarified that the sick children lived in different parts of the city, there was no large focus of the disease in a particular school or kindergarten.

  • Chief Physician of the Central City Hospital of Buinaksk Magomed Magomedov

Local resident Kalimat Munaeva, who was taken to the hospital with her daughter, spoke about the symptoms of poisoning in a conversation with Ruptly.

“My girl had a temperature of 40. Weakness, joint pain, nausea,” she said, noting that after hospitalization the girl's condition improved.

  • Kalimat Munaeva

At the same time, the head of the city, Islamudin Nurgudaev, previously expressed the opinion that gift sets with expired products could be the cause of the illness of children.

“Some parents cite tangerines as the cause of the poisoning, others - juice.

Tap water is also considered to be one of the main causes of poisoning.

Until we get the results of the analyzes, we can’t say something unambiguously, ”RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Later, a meeting of the operational headquarters was held in the city, as a result of which the use of water supplied by the centralized water supply system of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise “Buinakskvodokanal” for drinking and household needs of the population was prohibited.

It was also decided to carry out the procedure of hyperchlorination of water supply networks.

“In this regard, the townspeople are advised not to use tap water for the next three days.

To provide the population with water, water carriers will be sent to all districts of the city, ”the mayor said.

In turn, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Dagestan opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art.

238 of the Criminal Code (provision of services that do not meet the requirements of the safety of life or health of consumers).

"Currently, a complex of investigative actions is being carried out in the case against officials who are responsible for the normal functioning of water supply networks, are obliged to control the quality of water supplied to the population and monitor the state of the hydraulic structures used," the UK said.