Travel companies and government agencies such as Rostourism and Rospotrebnadzor have launched a discussion about the Coxsackievirus at Turkish resorts. According to Rospotrebnadzor, cases of the disease have been reported in hotels in Side, Alanya, Belek, Kemer, Antalya, and other cities. Children under 14 are most often affected. The agency's hotline has received over 500 calls complaining of health problems during vacations in Turkey.
Meanwhile, tour operators serving Turkey note that there are cases of the disease, but the current situation in Turkey cannot be called an epidemic. According to travel industry experts, the Coxsackievirus is found in virtually any European resort where children splash around in pools together.
Several media outlets reported that Russians infected with the Coxsackie virus were leaving Turkey en masse. However, tour operators and insurers denied this information, stating that Coxsackie cases were isolated and that no tourists had interrupted their vacations due to the virus.
Following last week's results, Rospotrebnadzor concluded that a health and safety threat to tourists in Turkey "does not require the immediate evacuation of Russian citizens," Interfax reports. This allowed tourists to cancel their Turkish travel packages without penalty or reschedule their trips, as Rostourism reminded them. At the same time, the legal service of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia reported that tourists who decide to cancel their purchased Turkish package tours will have to resolve the issue of contract termination and compensation in court. Therefore, tour operators note that there are currently few cancellations.
The Federal Tourism Agency also recommended that Russians vacationing in Turkey observe personal hygiene rules and recommendations for preventing this enterovirus infection. As a reminder, the Coxsackievirus is a highly contagious disease transmitted through the air or through contact with an infected person or objects they have touched. The main symptoms of the Coxsackievirus are rashes and blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and in the nose and mouth, accompanied by a high fever and headache.
Source: travel.ru