Prague, 26 February 1997 (RFE/RL) - An outbreak of typhoid fever has reportedly hit the Turkmen capital Ashgabat and other areas of Turkmenistan.
Our correspondent reports from Ashgabat today that it is unclear how many people have been affected by the disease. There has been no government confirmation so far of a typhoid fever outbreak.
Our correspondent says the country's ageing Soviet-era water supply was to blame for the disease which is caused by a bacteria usually found in untreated water.
Some 4,000 cases of typhoid fever have been registered in nearby Tajikistan, which has also suffered an outbreak of typhoid since the beginning of this year.