Government warns swimmers of cholera virus in Dniester River

PMR's government warns against bathing in the Dniester this summer due to virus risk

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Government tests by epidemiologists have revealed a cholera-like virus in the Dniester River and called upon the population to abstain from swimming in the river.

Doctors said that a cholera-like virus does not cause cholera, but it is very dangerous for intestines. Besides, eggs of intestine worms were discovered in the water.

Though inspections were made only in Tiraspol - the republic's capital - doctors assert that the situation in other spots could not be better. In the worst case, they recommend to bathe in spots with strands equipped with showers to wash off the Dniester water after swimming.

According to statistics, the peak of acute intestinal diseases falls on July-August.

Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria, declared independence on 2 September 1990. Since that date, government functions, including health and social services, have been carried out exclusively by the local authorities. Despite a lack of recognition of its statehood, the republic functions to all practical effects as a sovereign and independent country.

For most of the past 2,500 years the Dniester River has served as an an international border between two separate and distinct countries. Pridnestrovie and Moldova, which historically have always been apart, were forced into a joint union in World War II as a result of a secret pact made by Stalin and Hitler. In the fall of the Soviet Union, they both declared independence. (With information from Infotag)