Stomach bug infections rise to 141 in East Siberia

KRASNOYARSK, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - Two more children were diagnosed with yersiniosis over the weekend in Russia's East Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, bringing the total number of infected to 141, a local official said on Monday.

Of the 141, a total of 22 children and six adults remain in hospital, according to a spokeswoman for the local consumer safety regulator.

Yersiniosis is an infection contracted through eating undercooked food or liquids contaminated by the bacteria. The disease, which usually affects young children, typically develops from four to seven days after exposure and may last up to three weeks.

Measures to prevent the spread of the disease have been introduced in all the region's childcare facilities. Meals containing raw vegetables have been banned; raw cabbage is considered a likely cause of the outbreak.

Children infected with yersiniosis usually recover within a few days without treatment, but complications including the spread of the bacteria to the bloodstream can occasionally occur.