[The characteristics of cholera prevalence and of the performance of epidemic-control measures in small settlements of Dagestan].

The present work deals with summarizing the experience obtained by the specialized antiepidemic brigade of the Rostov-on-Don Research Institute for Plague Control in the work on the liquidation of cholera in some regions of Daghestan with a view to discussing the problems of improvement of anticholera measures. The characteristic features of the epidemic process were its explosive character, sparseness of the foci of infection, the prevalence of its transmission through everyday contacts (family contacts and intensive tribal contacts) and essential delays in taking anticholera measures due to sudden appearance of outbreaks, remoteness of small settlements and the lack of manpower and means for carrying out anticholera measures at a given place and time, as well as delays in epidemiological analysis carried out by local health service bodies. Delays in carrying out such measures led to the spread of infection both within settlements and in the whole region and further in the republic. The epidemic process was complicated by the antibiotic resistance of V.cholerae strains circulating on this territory. All these factors formed specific epidemic situation which introduced amendments into the organization of anticholera measures.