Which resorts have no infections? Children at the resort: will rotavirus ruin your holiday? Microalgae make them red

The tourism industry recognized it as a falsification - the real facts were clearly inflated in order to denigrate the Turkish destination in favor of competitors. Tourism market participants admit that isolated cases of this disease do occur, and experts even name specific hotels where such facts occur. However, it is clearly premature to talk about the widespread nature of this disease, much less an epidemic: there is no talk of any “hundreds of cases” of infection that scare television, while the disease is concentrated in individual hotels.

An “information campaign” about the Coxsackie virus started in the Russian media on Monday. Based on the testimony of tourists who fell ill in Turkey but had already returned, television provided information about “many hundreds” of injured Russians and the beginning of the epidemic. “During the period from July 30 to the morning of July 31, the hospital where I was admitted admitted 60 tourists with similar symptoms - stomach pain, nausea, and in some cases vomiting blood, as well as diarrhea. It is known that among the victims who went to this hospital for this period, there are representatives of such hotel chains as Botanik, Larisa, Rose,” for example, a tourist from Kemer told Izvestia.

According to the information disseminated, the disease is very contagious: it begins as a normal acute respiratory viral infection, then is aggravated by high fever, stomach problems, vomiting and diarrhea, and does not go away for a long time. Characteristic rashes also appear on the skin, by which the virus is diagnosed.

The media also report that the Consulate General of the Russian Federation denied information about the beginning of the epidemic of enterovirus infection Coxsackie in Turkey. According to diplomats, the cases are isolated. Rospotrebnadzor also sent a request to the Turkish Ministry of Health about cases of the Coxsackie virus at the country's resorts on Tuesday. At the same time, the department notes that in the summer-autumn period the incidence of enteroviral infections increases annually. At the same time, Rospotrebnadzor opened a hotline for tourists “to assess the situation.” The agency asks to indicate in the appeal the period of stay of tourists in Turkey, the date of deterioration in health, symptoms of the disease, contact information, place of vacation and name of the hotel, date of return to Russia and state of health after return.

Tourism market experts do not deny that there are facts of the disease, but, according to them, there is no talk of any “hundreds” of sick people. On social networks, where travel agencies discuss the situation, comments from the field are varied. “2 families with children returned from Maritim the day before yesterday. Not a single person out of 7 caught anything, moreover, they didn’t know that there was an outbreak somewhere.” “My tourists are now in the hotel. A few days ago their child fell ill with the Coxsackie virus (it’s like chickenpox, with a high fever that doesn’t go away well and there are pimples in the mouth and body). It hurts for a child to eat. In the hotel, those who are not sick dream of leaving quickly.” However, the overall result is something like this: “Where do most of our citizens vacation this summer? That's right, in Turkey. Accordingly, according to the theory of large numbers, there are more cases of all kinds of diseases there,” note travel agency employees. In addition, the news was traditionally called “black PR” in favor of domestic resorts.

“The information from other market participants is this: almost everyone, without saying a word, says that they have one or two cases, but we are clearly not talking about dozens or hundreds of tourists. Mostly, more or less cheap three-star hotels “suffer,” a well-known expert on Turkey commented to a correspondent of the TURPROM information group. The main cause of this disease in Turkey itself, according to the interlocutor, is said to be a combination of heat, a large number of tourists and problems with disinfection of water in swimming pools. “Moreover, this situation has not occurred for the first time; in August, a situation with an increase in diseases occurs regularly. It’s just that last year there were practically no tourists in Turkey at this time, and the media managed to forget about this topic. As soon as the heat of +34-36 degrees subsides, the situation will improve,” noted Gennady Kosarev.

“The hot summer period is truly an ideal time for the spread of viral diseases, especially at resorts where numerous vacationers come. But we see no reason to panic at all. We have not received any complaints from tourists, nor have we received any cases of tour cancellations due to information about the Coxsackie outbreak,” the press service of the tour operator also commented on the situation. Mass cancellations of vouchers are also not recorded in the PCT.

“As for the hotels where the tour operator’s tourists stay TUI - in general the situation is calm, at the moment information in the media about the widespread nature of the problem and the epidemic is exaggerated. We have received isolated requests from tourists about early return due to illness, which is generally typical for the height of the summer season; unfortunately, such diseases occur every season on the resort coasts. After the news in the media, we receive calls from tourists who are just going on vacation, we give everyone up-to-date information based on the data of our Turkish partners, we talk about precautions, we also recommend focusing on the message of the Federal Tourism Agency that no epidemic has been recorded." , - reported the press service of the tour operator.

The tour operator also reported that, according to data from their host company, the situation does not resemble an “epidemic”. "According to our data insurance companies“Isolated cases of requests for infection with the Coxsackie virus are recorded,” noted the press service of the tour operator. At the same time, experts warned tourists and gave them a number of health tips. “When planning a vacation with children, you should remember that July-August is the season for the spread of enterovirus infections, especially in southern resorts, where the heat and crowds create favorable conditions for this. Most often, children under 5 years of age are susceptible to infection,” TEZ-tour emphasized. And, although Turkish hotels usually take increased preventive measures during this period of time - shock disinfection of pools, detailed and additional to standard disinfection in rooms, clubs, kitchens and restaurants, tourists are still advised to take care of their safety on their own. “The main preventive measures for tourists are to maintain personal hygiene, wash your hands often, use antibacterial sprays, and do not swallow water in the pool. It is also important to understand the responsibility of the sick person in the spread of infection, and if this trouble happens to tourists, you should definitely stay in the room after seeing a doctor through your health insurance, thus showing respect for the health of others,” Tez-tour summarized.

Let us add that any travel agency can place a weather widget in the form of a beautiful interactive map on its website for free, thereby seriously improving the perception of its Internet resource by potential tourists. So, if you have sections on your website dedicated to Turkey, then insert the following widgets there:

• weather in Turkey -
• weather in Antalya -
  
• weather in Kemer -
• weather in Alanya -
• weather in Marmaris -
• weather in Istanbul -
• weather in Kusadasi -

Summer time is a wonderful time to travel to various resorts. Seaside resorts are especially beneficial, where not only children, but also adults improve their health. Clean air, salty sea ​​water have a beneficial effect on the body. But before the trip, it is better to protect yourself from various kinds of diseases, because adaptation to a new climate and water is not always smooth sailing. Thus, prevention of intestinal infections before going to sea is the most important activity for every person.

Medicines for prevention

Even though summer is the time to boost your immune system with seasonal vegetables and fruits. But it is during this period that the body becomes most vulnerable to various intestinal infections. Eating summer products is not entirely familiar to the stomach, which is accustomed to a different menu. This causes a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice, which performs a protective function in the body. Therefore, it is better to refrain from purchasing products on sea beaches. If symptoms of intestinal damage begin, timely treatment should be started. To do this, you can use some medications.

Enterosgel

This drug removes toxic substances from the body without damaging the body tissues. It is an excellent sorbent. The drug rids the body of a variety of substances of any origin, including bacteria, poisons, heavy metals, and alcohol. Does not interfere with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This medicine can be used by both adults and children. The only contraindication is for people with individual intolerance to some components of the drug. Available in the form of a paste for oral use.

Enterofuril

It is a powerful drug against microbes in the body. Used for diarrhea caused by bacteria. Side effect can cause nausea leading to vomiting, as well as allergic rashes on the skin. In case of overdose, it is necessary to perform gastric lavage. It is produced in the form of capsules or suspension. Not recommended for use in children under 3 years of age. Pregnant women should consult a specialist before taking this drug.

Enterol

Relieves diarrhea resulting from infection in the body. It is also an antimicrobial agent. May cause a minor allergic reaction and pain in the stomach area, which is not a reason to stop using it. It has no contraindications. Available in capsule form.

Polysorb

Used to treat acute intestinal diseases. Relieves symptoms accompanying the disease. In case of overdose, constipation may occur. It is not recommended for use by children under 1 year of age, as well as by persons with individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Produced in powder form for preparing a solution. It is strictly forbidden to use undiluted powder internally.

Furazolidone

It is an antibacterial agent that helps remove microbes from the body. Used to combat infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system. This drug should not be taken by persons with chronic renal failure, as well as individual intolerance to its components. It is prohibited to treat children under 1 month of age and people with diseases of the central nervous system with Furazolidone. nervous system. Women during pregnancy should take the drug strictly as prescribed by a specialist. Taking too much of this medicine may cause toxic damage liver. Available in tablet form.

Bifiform

This drug normalizes the functioning of the intestines. Relieves the body of emerging microbes and dysbacteriosis. Can be used to prevent infectious diseases and diarrhea, and helps improve the immune system. This medication is presented in the form of capsules.

Linux

Relieves emerging diarrhea by normalizing intestinal function. Eliminates symptoms such as pain in the abdominal cavity, increased gas formation, and bloating. Produced in capsule form. It can even be used for infants from birth. This drug has no contraindications.

Acipol

A drug that effectively fights acute intestinal infections caused by streptococci and staphylococci. Is a probiotic. Restores normal intestinal microflora. Promotes active metabolism. It is used for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis, and diarrhea. Should not be used by people in whom this medicine may cause allergic reactions. Pregnant women and women during breastfeeding can use this drug, strictly adhering to the dosage. Sold in capsule form.

Hilak forte

Helps restore intestinal microflora. Remove toxic substances from the body. Used when diarrhea or constipation occurs. This drug is safe for all groups of people. It is well tolerated by patients. Available in the form of drops for oral administration. It is enough to take 50 drops of this medication 3 times a day.

Reception of the selected medicinal product can be an excellent prevention of infectious diseases in the intestines.

Before choosing a specific medication for preventive purposes, you should consult a specialist!

Prevention in children

How to avoid intestinal infection at sea? Although children are more susceptible to intestinal infections, adults are also sometimes affected by this disease. If parents can protect their child, then automatically they will also be protected from defeat. After all, everyone will take measures to prevent the disease together. To do this, you should perform the following activities:

• wash your hands thoroughly before eating, after swimming in the sea, playing on the shore, after visiting places with a large number of people;
• do not give your child exotic foods, as well as food of dubious origin;
• drink purified water, it is better to buy bottled water in stores, for a child it is better to take the usual water from home;
• refrain from buying food on the beach, on the street and in dubious establishments, and also avoid spontaneous markets;
• A couple of days before the trip, you need to start a preventive course of medications, after consulting with your doctor.

We should not forget that vigilance must be exercised not only upon arrival on vacation, but also on the road. Following all these simple rules can protect the whole family from the occurrence of intestinal infections and the rest will be complete. If there is a slight suspicion of the occurrence of the disease, it is better not to treat it yourself. You should contact a specialist as soon as possible to establish a correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment.

When going on vacation to Turkey with your young child, you must soberly assess the degree of risk of infection. Hundreds of children of different ages and thousands of adults can simultaneously live on the territory of the hotel you choose. Among the latter there may be not only carriers of the influenza or hepatitis virus, but even tuberculosis. After all, medical certificates for going on vacation abroad have long been abolished!

If your children attend kindergarten or primary school, the risk of disease increases many times over. The famous children's clubs in Turkish hotels, where children spend several hours together in one room, are an ideal place for the spread of infections, such as chickenpox, ARVI and even intestinal poisoning.

The hot climate in Turkey creates favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria. As experience shows, it is enough for one child sick with a serious infectious disease to come to the hotel, and after a couple of days problems will begin for the entire contact group who touched the doll, smeared with mucous discharge from the nose of the sick child. As a rule, contacts get sick at the same time, creating the illusion of an epidemic.

Often the chains of transmission of infections are so long and numerous that a complex infectious disease, for example, rotavirus infection, can “live” in a particular hotel in Turkey for quite a long time. Unfortunately, children react to such infections with high fever, diarrhea and vomiting, which leave parents almost no other chance than to consult a doctor. Therefore, the risk of spending your holiday next to a hospital bed and a sick child in Turkey is quite significant.

In August 2017, information appeared on the Internet about the infection of tourists with the Coxsackie virus in a number of hotels in Turkey. Symptoms of the Coxsackie virus in everyone age groups(adults and children) are the same: very high fever, diarrhea, itchy skin due to skin rash. This is a common enterovirus infection, for this reason the main way of spreading the virus will be direct contact with the patient (in line at a restaurant, on a bus on an excursion, when children play in a children's club). Treatment of patients infected with the Coxsackie virus is standard: isolation of the patient, bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids, taking antiviral drugs according to the regimen. So far, the Turkish authorities are providing a minimally dosed amount of information about the spread of the virus. On the contrary, the Russian press is already fanning hysteria about the frightening volumes of infection, mass refusals to return vouchers or the departure of frightened tourists from Turkey.

The Coxsackie virus was discovered in Turkey in August 2017. Rosportebsoyuz (Russia) and the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey requested information from the competent authorities of Turkey about the Coxsackie virus epidemic in Turkish resorts. What should tourists do?

How to prevent the disease?

When planning a holiday trip to a resort area in Turkey, you can avoid your child from getting an infectious disease by following the following time-tested recommendations.
1) First of all, it is necessary to strengthen your child’s immunity by one means or another. This is not only the simplest hardening and certainly not Danone jars, supposedly containing millions of miraculous lactobacilli. Your child should have all age-appropriate vaccinations, especially against measles and chickenpox.
2) Try to avoid prolonged contact of your child with large groups of children. To travel to Turkey, no one will require your child to be examined by a pediatrician or undergo minimal tests. Therefore, mothers often take infected children with them to resorts, who safely infect the rest of their children. All kinds of children's groups are a potential breeding ground for infections. Moreover, remember - no one requires medical certificates from children's animators in Turkey. And they, in addition to ordinary sore throat, can be carriers of more serious infectious diseases.

3) There are a lot of myths about the possibility of children becoming infected with dirty water in children's pools. However, highly chlorinated water is supplied to swimming pools, where bacteria are neutralized by chlorine compounds. And infection with ARVI occurs precisely through live contact by airborne droplets. To do this, it is enough for a sick child to sneeze a couple of times on a healthy little interlocutor.
4) As you know, conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) is an infectious disease that is quite common in hotels in Turkey. However, parents often confuse the symptoms of this disease with primitive irritation of the child's eyes from sweat. It is very hot in Turkey, so children's eyes become watery and red. Rinse your child's eyes frequently with drinking bottled water.
5) In conclusion, one cannot help but remember food. Food poisoning is not uncommon in hotels in Turkey. A separate and very useful article has been written in more detail about how to avoid food poisoning in hotel restaurants.
6) Your suitcase should contain a traveling first aid kit “for all occasions.” Medicine taken on time will help to quickly avoid unpleasant problems with your baby's health.

Happy holiday

A family holiday in Turkey will be truly bright, cheerful and joyful if you prepare for it and follow simple rules, which will protect you and your children from various types of infections that appear from time to time in hotels in Turkey.

When planning a trip to Turkey, you must definitely buy medical insurance against all kinds of accidents. Otherwise, you will be left alone with Turkish doctors who will simply “rob you dry” when you go to a clinic or hospital. Insurance is mandatory for your children, who often face severe oral viral infections or poisonings in Turkey. I advise you to purchase health insurance yourself, online. You will choose the best insurance option depending on your tour. You can buy insurance online through the online aggregator "Turtle" - a reliable Russian company that provides maximum functions and conditions for travel insurance. We advise you to read my detailed article about the simple procedure for purchasing health insurance from Turtle or click on the colorful banner below.

MOSCOW, July 3 – RIA Novosti. Russian tourists often return after vacations at popular foreign resorts with exotic infections; In order not to spoil your holiday experience, doctors interviewed by RIA Novosti recommend getting the necessary vaccinations in advance, drinking only bottled water abroad, not swimming in strange bodies of water and not trying unwashed vegetables and fruits at markets.

Enterovirus and syphilis are not uncommon

Tips for tourists going abroadPragmatic and inquisitive Russians who have tasted the taste of all-inclusive hotels or want to see the beauty with their own eyes different countries, are increasingly going on vacation abroad. What a tourist going abroad needs to know in the RIA Novosti infographic. What you need to know when going abroad

“When we are going to go somewhere abroad, we first need to know what the morbidity situation is there, what diseases are more common, from here we need to think about how to protect ourselves from them,” Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Childhood Diseases Natalya told RIA Novosti Skripchenko.

The travel company must provide all explanations about the epidemiological situation in the country where the tourist is traveling. “This is their responsibility, and the company must provide a list of infections against which tourists are required to be vaccinated. This is in the law on the fundamentals of tourism activities,” the doctor added.

She said that Russian tourists often bring back all sorts of infectious diseases from their holidays abroad. “People come to us from Bulgaria and Turkey with enteroviral paralysis and enteroviral polyneuropathy (multiple damage to peripheral nerves). Now we have three such children in our department,” Skripchenko said.

Recently, the medical facility received children who returned from Tunisia and Greece with en(damage to all parts of the nervous system of an infectious or toxic nature), the doctor noted. Last year, there were children from Bulgaria and Turkey with serous meningitis, Skripchenko said.

“In principle, you can bring syphilis and HIV infection from behind the cordon,” says Vladimir Nikiforov, chief infectious disease specialist at the FMBA of Russia.

In Tunisia - rabies, in Thailand - malaria

It is advisable for those traveling to Tunisia to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, and rabies, Skripchenko said. "If you go to rural areas, there is dengue fever. In Tunisia, for example, there is bats, there is a very high risk of contracting rabies through their bites,” the doctor explained.

Those who are going on vacation to Egypt or Turkey must be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B and typhoid fever, the doctor warned. “Neither in Egypt nor in Turkey are there any specific infections, and they bring ordinary intestinal infections and typhoid fever,” Nikiforov noted in turn.

“If we go to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, there is malaria there, so we need to take antimalarial drugs with us,” Skripchenko explained. In addition, there is meningitis in Saudi Arabia and it is advisable to get vaccinated against meningococcal infection before traveling to this country, she advises.

In India, you can become infected with hepatitis A, typhoid fever, Japanese encephalitis (an acute infectious disease from the group of mosquito-borne viral encephalitis), malaria and Dengue fever, Skripchenko said. Thailand also has malaria, Dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and leptospirosis (this infection can be contracted through contact with animals or by swimming in water bodies), the doctor warned.

Dengue fever can also be brought from Cuba, beloved by Russians, Nikiforov noted. “We don’t have it because this disease requires high temperatures and mosquito vectors to develop,” he noted.

Going to African countries and South America, you should definitely get vaccinated against yellow fever, Skripchenko added.

Shawarma in eateries and fruits in markets

While on vacation, you should swim only in designated areas and should not swallow water. “Where there are official beaches, the water is monitored,” explained the infectious disease specialist.

The chief infectious disease specialist of the FMBA of Russia strongly does not recommend drinking unknown water. “Carry bottled water with you, preferably without gas,” he said and added that if you don’t mind spending money on bottled water, you can boil tap water and drink it.

Skripchenko recalled that enterovirus infection enters the human body through the mouth, so vegetables and fruits must be washed well, and water or food must be thoroughly heat-treated.

"Don't eat shawarma at any eatery<…>, do not try vegetables and fruits at markets,” Nikiforov said.

After returning from a vacation abroad, you need to monitor your well-being in the first two weeks, the doctor noted. “Male, fever, pain in joints and muscles, vomiting, if a person turns yellow, then, of course, you need to call a doctor home and inform him that you were on vacation in a particular region of the world,” Skripchenko said .

A first aid kit is good, but a doctor is better

In case of cuts, tourists should put iodine, a bandage, and a bactericidal plaster in their first aid kit, Skipchenko advises. She also recommends taking probiotics with you on vacation to help with stomach upset.

You can also take antibacterial drugs for intestinal infections and antiviral drugs, says Skripchenko. “This is nonspecific, but antiviral protection in the case of influenza or respiratory infection or for the purpose of prevention,” noted the pediatric infectious disease specialist. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Most patients suddenly experience severe headache and vomiting after two to five days. Babies develop a monotonous, strong, so-called “brain” cry. Impaired consciousness and insomnia develop rapidly.

Nikiforov noted that he is categorically against tourists drowning out headache tablets. “Because it’s one thing when a person has a headache because a person is just tired. But it’s quite another thing when he starts having serous meningitis. In the latter case, painkillers will relieve the pain for a while, but the process will remain, and time will be lost,” the doctor explained .

He believes that there is no need to skimp on health insurance, and if an emergency occurs, consult a doctor.

Since the beginning of August, reports began to appear in the media about the spread of the Coxsackie virus in Turkey. On August 11, Rostourism warned that travel to the republic could be dangerous. And on August 15, the Rospotrebnadzor office for the Tomsk region even opened a hotline on this issue. Despite the information background that has created around the situation in Turkey, there have been no mass cancellations or a sharp decline in sales, reports ATOR Bulletin. A TV2 source in Turkey claims that the topic of the virus was undeservedly inflated.

Epidemic or outbreak?

At the beginning of August, information about the spread of the Coxsackie virus in Turkey began to appear in the Russian media. Publications write about the epidemic that began in the resorts of this state. At the end of last week, Rostourism warned travelers that “ Travel to Turkey may pose health risks».

At the same time, Rospotrebnadzor reported that within the framework of a specially opened “hotline”, Rospotrebnadzor received more than 500 requests with complaints about deteriorating health while staying at Turkish resorts during the season. Cases of the disease, according to them, were observed in hotels in the cities of Side, Alanya, Belek, Kemer, Antalya and others. The largest number of cases are children under 14 years of age.

According to official data from the Turkish Ministry of Health, which the country sent in response to a request from the Russian department, it is said that since the beginning of July, 348 people have applied to clinics and hospitals in Antalya province with various symptoms of the disease. The country's authorities assured that they had additionally given instructions to improve sanitary and epidemiological conditions and introduce monitoring of tourists' requests.

At the same time, as Lenta.ru writes with reference to the regional office of Rospotrebnadzor for the Republic of Crimea, during the week from August 4 to 11 of this year, 633 people became infected with acute intestinal infections on the peninsula. Thus, the number of people infected with enterovirus in Turkey is much less than the number of people affected by intestinal infections in Crimea. Experts do not rule out that true goal such a campaign is to reorient Russians from holidays in Turkey to domestic destinations, the publication writes.

What is the Coxsackie virus and how can you get infected with it?

Coxsackievirus is a group of 30 active enteroviruses that reproduce in gastrointestinal tract. The disease was first diagnosed in the small US town of Coxsackie, and thanks high level infectiousness quickly spread throughout the globe.

Most often, the disease occurs in children under 5 years of age, and extremely rarely in adults. After suffering from a disease caused by the Coxsackie virus, a person develops a strong immunity to the infection, so re-infection is excluded.

A large group of these viral particles is divided into two classes: A-type and B-type, which contain up to 20 viruses each.

The difference lies in what complications appear after the infection. After type A, meningitis and throat diseases may develop. B-type is more dangerous and threatens serious changes in the brain, heart and skeletal muscles.

The infection can enter the body through the mouth or through airborne droplets through contact with an infected child. The most dangerous age for the disease is considered to be the period from birth to 2 years. The virus is especially dangerous in autumn and summer, when the air is enriched with moisture. High humidity is a necessary condition for the viability of this microorganism. Incubation period Coxsackie virus infection is from 4 to 6 days.

Is it worth fleeing Turkey?

According to the ATOR Bulletin, few actual cancellations of Turkish tours due to the emergence of information about the epidemic in the country have been recorded. Rebookings to alternative destinations occur more often. Market players explain this, among other things, by the fact that many tours fall strictly during the holiday period, and besides, it’s simply a pity to lose vacation.

Market participants note that there are now very few people who rebook tours to Turkey to another destination: the fact is that for those whose departure date is close, it is often difficult to find an adequate replacement. Those doubters who have a tour to Turkey in September-October are much less worried, which is quite logical.

As a replacement, tourists are offered both domestic destinations, for example, Crimea, and foreign ones. According to the publication, domestic destinations are not in great demand as an alternative to Turkish resorts: in the vast majority of cases, they want to replace the tour with a similar or at least close to the “Turkish” holiday format. When rebooking, preference is given primarily to two countries: Tunisia and Cyprus. Next in popularity among rebooking tourists is Greece visa.

According to the publication, tour operators are now indeed recording a certain decline in demand for Turkey. For different companies it can reach up to 10-15% compared to the beginning of the month, but this is due to the end of the season. All tours are sold out until mid-September.

Director of the AeroTour-Tomsk Travel Agency and head of the Non-Profit Partnership of Tomsk Tourist Organizations Association Olga Sevostyanova told TV2 that her agency has no refusals of purchased tours. Moreover, people continue to book Turkey. This includes planning trips with children.

We have no refusals, nor do we receive any requests. I don't know how the situation is for others.

If clients book Turkey, we ask if they are aware of the situation there. It turns out that everyone knows everything and can assess the risks. We also consulted with doctors who explained that the virus is an enteroviral infection. To avoid getting infected, you need to follow the rules of personal hygiene. Unfortunately, our people relax too much on vacation and forget about everything. In addition, there is such a thing: people go to the sea and do not get out of the pools, where infection also often occurs. Our tourists most often take their children to the resort for health purposes. And for this you need to swim in the sea more often,” says Sevostyanova.

What's really happening in Turkey?

Our colleague Igor Boldyrev, who lives in Turkey, is sure that “this topic has been undeservedly inflated.” There is no panic at the resort, especially since there is no epidemic there. There is no talk of a decline in tourist flow; on the contrary, Türkiye is breaking all records, especially among Russians.

The Russians show an over-growth in statistics. The Antalya Airport Authority (Antalya airport is the main hub for tourist transit to Turkish resorts in the Mediterranean and Aegean directions) reported in July that the monthly passenger flow from Russia amounted to 684,415 people (last year, when the crisis in relations between the two countries was at its apogee, in July only 15 thousand citizens of Russia). In total, during the still unfinished “hot” season, more than 2 million of our fellow citizens chose a Turkish vacation for the period under review, compared to 50 thousand last year. Russia this year tops the top five “favorites” of statistics, followed by German tourists (more than 800 thousand), Ukrainians (more than 400 thousand), British (almost 190 thousand) and Kazakhstanis (146 thousand), says Boldyrev.

“There is a feeling that this year the Turks are going to break their record of 2014, when 4.5 million Russians visited the country. However, the Turkish tourism industry is having a very difficult time emerging from the crisis. Everyone understands that the volumes are shown due to the incredible low prices, partial government subsidies for air travel, in hopes of increasing financial turnover. It’s just as easy to fall from the “height” we’ve taken today. And it will be very difficult to raise prices. The head of the Tourism Investment Association, Oya Narin, recently stated that industry losses in 2016-17 will amount to $22 billion, and the Association expects to see positive indicators of the tourism business only by 2020. This is the economic price of political conflicts,” says Boldarev.

In his opinion, the emergence of the virus is a consequence, among other things, of a sharp increase in tourist traffic:

Security issues inevitably arise. Not a day goes by without reports of tourists dying from heart attacks, asthma, and commonplace falls from balconies in the appropriate condition. I will say cynically: no person, no problem and vice versa. Great hospitality, put on stream, always implies unpleasant statistics. Another thing is that this topic was undeservedly inflated. It’s interesting that our Rospotrebnadzor and Rosturizm picked it up from the Ukrainian media. The first reports about the Coxsackie virus appeared in the Ukrainian segment of Facebook and so on. It’s amazing how round the earth is, since the Russian bureaucrat sings along mutely to his Ukrainian “antipode.” The Federal Tourism Agency reports 500 calls to its hotline. I emphasize that these are not medical reports, but appeals from incompetent ordinary people who discovered a rash and other similar symptoms. According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, 380 tourists turned to Antalya clinics with various symptoms. Obviously, not everyone has been diagnosed with this disease. On my own behalf, I can say that any enterovirus infection in a large hotel is associated only with “dirty hands”, poorly washed dishes and poor disinfection of the pool. The conclusion is simple - during the hot season, wash your hands more often, do not bite your nails and choose hotels that are not very large and not very cheap. The larger the hotel space, the higher the risk of catching something like this on an all-inclusive event.

How to behave so as not to get sick?

Rospotrebnadzor recalls the rules for the prevention of Coxsackie virus and other enteroviral infections.

Enteroviruses, which include Coxsackie, are well tolerated low temperatures, are stored in water. The source of infection is only a person - a sick or healthy carrier. The virus very effectively infects young children when a small dose comes into contact with water, food, dirty toys, or hands.

In order to prevent the occurrence of diseases by the Coxsackie virus and other enteroviral infections, Rospotrebnadzor strongly recommends that tourists adhere to the following rules:

Observe the rules of personal hygiene, wash your hands thoroughly with soap before eating, after visiting the toilet, and after returning from walks;

Use only bottled or boiled water for drinking;

Observe temperature conditions for food storage, eat foods with known shelf life;

Wash fruits, berries, vegetables thoroughly;

Restrict the admission of children to swimming pools until the epidemiological situation stabilizes;

Restrict the admission of children to baby clubs of hotels where there is an epidemiological problem with the Coxsackie virus and other infections.

At the first signs of deterioration in health, you should seek medical help. If symptoms appeared after returning to Russia, then at the doctor’s appointment you must inform about the country of residence.

The Rospotrebnadzor office for the Tomsk region operates a telephone “ hotline”, which accepts requests regarding the epidemiological situation regarding enterovirus infection at resorts in the Republic of Turkey. During business hours, you can get advice and ask questions:

On consumer rights related to termination of a contract for the sale of a tourism product due to a threat to the health of tourists in the Republic of Turkey - by phone 44-00-29 , 44-02-11 ;

About the Coxsackie virus and other enteroviral infections, as well as get recommendations on measures to prevent them - by phone 26-55-45 , 24-97-18 , 44-66-83 .