In the 'Varganza' mahalla of the Kitab district, Kashkadarya region, rumors of a rabies outbreak and the closure of the settlement spread after the death of a local woman. The catalyst was an internal audio recording that leaked online, in which medical workers were urged to be prepared for a possible case of the dangerous infection.
The woman's death sparked discussions on social media after relatives said she had been scratched by a fox cub about a month earlier. This prompted doctors to consider the possibility of rabies infection. As a precaution, three relatives of the deceased were examined, but no signs of the disease were found.
The woman's relatives told journalists that she had long suffered from arterial hypertension and had previously suffered a stroke. According to them, she ate and drank normally until her last days and showed no typical rabies symptoms. They also noted that the rumors spreading online only increased the family's distress.
Additional concern was caused by an internal audio recording from the head of a district clinic. The author explained that the recording was intended only for medical staff. After a work meeting, he urged colleagues to pay increased attention to possible cases of rabies, botulism, and intestinal infections, but users interpreted this as confirmation of an outbreak.
The mahalla chairman also denied information about a quarantine. He stated that no entry or exit restrictions had been imposed, residents and tourists freely visit the settlement, and preventive measures against rabies are carried out regularly, as the area is near mountains where wild animals live.
The district health department reported that the woman initially went to the hospital complaining of high blood pressure. During the examination, she told doctors about the fox cub incident, so specialists decided to check the possible infection version. A day later, the patient died, and the final cause of death is to be determined by a forensic medical examination.
The department emphasized that to date, no officially confirmed cases of rabies have been registered in the Kitab district, and the epidemiological situation remains stable. Emergency service specialists also conducted checks and found no signs of a threat or outbreak.
According to experts, the panic was caused by the publication of an internal medical memo that was misinterpreted and quickly spread on social media.
Source: podrobno.uz