Karabakh: Health authorities warn of plague risk from bodies left in battlefieldOctober 18, 2020 - 19:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Health Ministry warned Sunday, October 18 that the bodies of those killed in the battlefield, when left without proper care, pose an epidemic threat, including the outbreak of plague. Those bodies, the Ministry said, may create favorable conditions where insects and wild animals carrying and disseminating infectious diseases can breed and reproduce. According to Armenia's health authorities, infectious and dangerous pathogens can remain viable for a long time, which creates all the preconditions for outbreaks and epidemics. The high mortality and infection rates of the plague are likely to cause mass contamination, the Ministry added. Pollution of the environment, the reproduction of rodents that spread infectious diseases is a serious epidemic threat not only for the parties of the conflict, but also for neighboring countries, in particular, Iran, the Health Ministry said, citing the Araks river running along the Iranian border, which could cause widespread waterborne infection in settlements nearby. The parties have agreed on a humanitarian ceasefire two times since the beginning of hostilities but Azerbaijan has failed to honor the agreement both times. Truce has been agreed upon for the evacuation of bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war. Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and Syrian and Libyan mercenaries deployed by Ankara, started a war against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Foreign and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. |