The Ministry of Health publishes the results of the epidemiological investigation in Masyaf: Bacterial contamination with water and food
The Syrian Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Hama Health Directorate and the Surveillance and Rapid Response Teams, followed up on the developments of the health situation related to the spread of acute diarrhoea cases recorded in the Masyaf area in the western countryside of Hama. The Ministry announced that the cumulative number of cases that visited local hospitals since July 11 until the morning of Thursday, July 16, 2026, has reached 769 cases.
The official medical data indicated that the health condition of 38 patients required their admission to receive treatment at Masyaf National Hospital, while another 20 cases were transferred to private hospitals in the region, stressing that all those admitted were recovered and in a good and stable state of health.
The Ministry activated the Urgent Epidemiological Response Plan immediately after observing a steady increase in cases, as the investigation teams conducted intensive field visits to hospitals and health centers to monitor and count patients, as well as preparing a comprehensive database to determine the prevailing epidemiological pattern, and carrying out visits to the homes of the infected to determine the medical history and taking samples of water from household tanks and the public network.
Laboratory Results and Cholera Exclusion
Accurate laboratory analyses completed by the Ministry of Health's laboratories of samples collected from the field showed that the investigation of the cholera germ was negative in both rapid tests and bacterial cultures, dispelling the prevailing fears of a cholera outbreak in the region.
At the same time, the microbial tests revealed the presence of clear bacterial contamination in most of the water samples examined from the public network and the feeding wells of the city's neighborhoods, and the results of the bacterial transplantation of the samples of food, vegetables, watermelons, and drinking water taken from multiple sources proved that they are not suitable for human consumption from a microbial point of view and caused the current wave of fatigue.
Preventive measures and intensive field coordination
The Hama Health Directorate, in cooperation with the Hama Governorate, the Municipality and the Water and Supply Corporation, has launched a series of urgent coordination meetings to determine responsibilities and take the necessary measures to confront pollution, as the current efforts are focused on enhancing the quality of drinking water, intensifying the control of water sources and tankers, and ensuring its chlorination periodically and strictly.
In its statement, the Ministry of Health called on all citizens to strictly and fully adhere to personal prevention guidelines, rely exclusively on safe and sterile drinking water sources, and avoid consuming unsafe foods or irrigating vegetables with water of unknown origin, stressing the continuation of the work of its field teams in the area until the safety of health and environmental conditions is absolutely ascertained.