Tajikistan authorities have urged tourist companies to refrain from sending tourists to Saritag in the Aininsky district due to the risk of plague infection. The letter, signed on March 28th by the Tourism Development Committee, highlights the potential danger of contracting the deadly disease in the mountainous region of Saritag, where 250 people died from it in the past century.
The document, based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan, emphasizes the possibility of new sources of infection due to potential climate changes. While no cases of plague infection have been reported in the country for many decades, the authorities stress that such warnings to tour companies are a standard safety measure based on internal security and prevention protocols.
The authorities underline that plague can be transmitted from animals to humans through the bite of an infected flea, direct contact with infected tissues, and airborne droplets. It can lead to severe consequences such as lung tissue inflammation, respiratory failure, and even death if treatment is not initiated promptly.
To shed light on the situation, spoke with several companies engaged in domestic tourism. While one company claimed to have received no warnings regarding travel to Saritag and had no information on the matter, another stated that they had spoken to guesthouses in Saritag and that tourists were being accommodated without any complaints about their health.
Infectious disease specialists note that certain diseases can be suppressed or their spread reduced as a result of climate changes. For instance, the plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium and usually transmitted through flea bites, can be influenced by climate. Climatic conditions can affect the spread of fleas and rodents, which can, in turn, infect humans.
Other diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika fever, transmitted through insects, can also be sensitive to climate changes. Rising temperatures can alter the geographic distribution of these vectors, impacting the spread of these diseases. Climate also affects the spread of pathogens causing food infections by changing food storage and processing conditions, potentially leading to a decrease in food poisoning cases.
