Cholera poses a potential threat to Russia, according to the head of Rospotrebnadzor.
Alert: High Risk of Cholera Infiltration for Russia Amidst Global Chaos
In an unsettling turn of events, the specter of cholera looms large over Russia. Anna Popova, the head honcho of Russia's consumer protection agency, Rospotrebnadzor, sounded the alarm. "The cholera situation worldwide is a powder keg," Popova stated, speaking to Interfax. "Countries are going through major outbreaks with a horrifying death toll. The threats of importations are real and这是我们当前面临的最大危险来自 cholera 方面。"
Several hotspots around the globe are causing concern. In Sudan, Khartoum State has reported over 7,000 cholera cases in May 2025 – a staggering 400% increase from April, resulting in at least 97 fatalities in facilities supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the past fortnight[1]. South Darfur's Nyala too has seen a sharp rise in new cases[1].
On a broader scale, cholera outbreaks have been reported in no less than 22 countries as of April 2025, spanning three WHO regions: Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South-East Asia[5]. By January to April 2025, a staggering 157,035 cases and 2,148 deaths were accounted for across 26 nations globally[3].
The crisis has been especially challenging for Eastern and Southern Africa, where more than 178,000 cholera cases were confirmed in 16 countries from January 2024 to March 2025[4]. These regions, plagued by infrastructure decay and mass displacement, call for urgent attention.
Popova highlighted that Russian tourists are traveling to countries with high disease rates. To mitigate the threat, Rospotrebnadzor closely monitors the situation, assessing the readiness of medical facilities and border crossings. Climate changes are also taken into consideration.
With critical control points identified, Rospotrebnadzor has ramped up its surveillance and vigilance to ensure no cases slip through the cracks. "We believe this strategy is the right call, and we'll continue our efforts diligently," Popova added[2].
Stay vigilant, folks!
Author: Moscow, Elena Volodina
Source: © 2025, RIA "Novy Day"
[1] https://www.who.int/news/item/22-06-2023-massive-cholera-outbreak-in-sudan-continues-to-spread-amidst-complex-humanitarian-crisis[2] https://www.interfax.ru/general/839433[3] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/weekly-epidemiological-record-17-may-to-23-may-2023[4] https://www.africa-cdc.org/diseases/disease/cholera[5] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera
- The current cholera outbreaks in various countries, especially those in Eastern and Southern Africa, are a significant concern in the field of health-and-wellness, given the high disease rates and mass displacement in these regions.
- In the context of environmental science, climate changes are also being taken into account by Russia's Rospotrebnadzor as they work to monitor cholera cases and maintain vigilance at critical control points to prevent the importation of the disease.
