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Anthrax outbreak in Russia's Yamal Peninsula stopped — minister

Over the three weeks when the effort was in progress, chemical and germ warfare prevention specialists incinerated the remains of 2,572 animals killed by anthrax
A nomad village in Russia's Yamal Peninsula  ITAR-TASS/Sergey Cherkashin
A nomad village in Russia's Yamal Peninsula
© ITAR-TASS/Sergey Cherkashin

SEVASTOPOL, September 13. /TASS/. The outbreak of anthrax in Russia's northern Yamal Peninsula has been stopped by now thanks to the efforts of many agencies, Healthcare Minister Veronika Skvortsova said on Monday.

"We've taken all the measures to restrist and stop the outbreak of anthrax in Yamal and many other agencies and departments were involved in the process," she said. "All those who were taken to hospital have been discharged from there by now. They are recuperating and getting assistance, as well as social aid."

The joint efforts of different agencies made it possible to stop the spread of the lethal disease, she said adding that the sweeping effort had involved supervisory organizations and the Defense Ministry that were responsible for recycling the carcasses of dead animals, the Emergencies Ministry that installed the provisional accommodation facilities and disinfection/decontamination posts, and the authorities of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.

Skvortsova said all the medics who had worked in the zone of contamination, including herself, were feeling well and all of them had taken a three-week course of 'chemoprevention'.

To help elimiate the aftermaths of the outbreak, the Defense Ministry had dispatched to Yamal the newest complex for aerosolized decontamination of vehicles, builsinga, and technological installations.

By way of assistance to the local authorities, Russia's Central Military District sent to Yamal more than 250 servicemen and 30 vehicles and special machines.

Over the three weeks when the effort was in progress, chemical and germ warfare prevention specialists incinerated the remains of 2,572 animals killed by anthrax. Also, they did the local decontamination with the aid of bleaching lime of the contaminated areas of soil.

Control sampling of the soil confirmed the absence of infection in it.

Skvortsova said earlier there was no danger of a spread of anthrax from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area to other regions of Russia. She said she had inspected personally the security belt created around the center of contagion.