CASES OF UNKNOWN VIRAL DISEASE INCREASE IN ARTSAKH

SPEPANAKERT, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). An unknown viral disease has
recently spread in Artsakh. There is no laboratory to diagnose the
disease both in Armenia and Artsakh. According to Karine Balayan, head
of the epidemic department of the NKR Republican Center for Hygiene
and Anti-Epidemic Control, during 11 months of 2003, 11,104 cases of
the disease was registered, while 12,888 cases were registered during
the same period of this year. It was noted that only in November, 2004,
1,442 cases of this viral disease were registered in Artsakh, including
463 cases in Stepanakert. It was also pointed out that the checking
conducted by the center revealed that the temperature in Stepanakert
schools was below 18 degrees. According to the data provided by the
education department of Stepanakert mayor’s office, as of December
17, 2,434 from the 7,288 pupils of Stepanakert schools did not attend
school because of the disease. For the same reason the NKR Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sports made a decision to discontinue the
teaching process at schools from December 20 to January 7.