Bathing and fishing ban continues in Odesa: cholera-like vibrios found in water

The work to eliminate the consequences of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station explosion is still ongoing. Therefore, there is a risk to the population when visiting recreational areas along the coast and swimming in the Black Sea.

According to information from the Odessa Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, as of July 11, 2023, cholera-like Vibrio parahaemolyticus of Heiberg's serogroup 1 was isolated from sea water samples collected at the Odessa point (seaport berth #2). These cholera-like Vibrio parahaemolyticus are not the causative agent of cholera but can cause acute gastrointestinal infections.

Although there have been occasional improvements in the quality of sea water samples in terms of sanitary-microbiological and sanitary-chemical indicators, this improvement has a short-term nature. The results vary depending on weather conditions (temperature, wind direction), which can lead to the resuspension of sediment from the seabed and the influx of new contaminated water masses from the Dnipro River estuary.

Currently, there is a ban on swimming in the sea, fishing, and the consumption of fresh sea fish and other marine aquatic resources, as well as fish of dubious origin within the city of Odessa.

On July 9, dead fish and amphibians were observed floating in the Psel River, which flows between the settlements of Zapsillia and Omelnyk, indicating pollution. This situation is a result of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station explosion by occupiers in Dnipropetrovsk region.