No cases of hemorrhagic smallpox in Uzbekistan - Health Ministry
TASHKENT. May 8 (Interfax) - The Uzbek Health Ministry has denied
reports claiming that cases of hemorrhagic smallpox have appeared in the
country.
"Internet reports claiming two alleged cases of hemorrhagic
smallpox are totally untrue," Chief Public Health Office and Deputy
Health Minister Bakhtiyer Niyazmatov told Interfax on Thursday.
He also denied claims that the disease had allegedly spread from
the former Vozrozhdenia Island in the Aral Sea to the Uzbek-Kazakh
frontline, where a Soviet biological weaponry testing range used to be.
"The site was mothballed long ago. It is under the control of
appropriate ministries and agencies. No one lives on a radius of 200
kilometers around that site. As far as we know, there are no smallpox
agents left there," he said.
The world has not had natural smallpox cases since 1978, the
official said.
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