Health care experts have warned of the risk of secondary consequences from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, particularly in the areas located at the epicenter of the earthquakes, which could lead to the spread of infections globally. Mikhail Polkov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated: "After natural disasters, there is usually widespread transmission of infectious diseases. This is primarily related to a lack of clean drinking water, sanitation, heating, and regular medical care. There are also additional factors such as mass displacement of populations."
According to World Health Organization experts, considering the massive destruction of infrastructure in the affected areas of southeastern Turkey, it is possible that these regions may become a hotspot for cholera, especially since it is already prevalent in 18 countries. Therefore, the risk of its spread globally is "very high."
Elena Malinnikova, head of the Department of Virology at the Russian Academy of Continuous Professional Education, pointed out that natural disasters lead to the destruction of sanitation facilities, which in turn causes the spread of infectious diseases related to drinking contaminated water, such as hepatitis A and E. She remarked, "There is another infectious disease that does not show up immediately but arises later—anthrax. The destruction of animal burial sites leads to the spread of germs that can live in the soil for hundreds of years."
