For the first time in six years, a case of cholera has been detected in Poland, near the German border. An elderly woman fell ill, despite not having traveled abroad-nor had anyone from her immediate surroundings.
The case is already prompting widespread discussion. “Coincidence? I don’t think so” – this phrase is being repeated frequently. Many are pointing to the proximity of the German border, where a migration crisis has been unfolding recently.
Sakiewicz recalls the Koch Institute report
“This is a fact that serves as a serious warning about what could happen. Of course, there’s no 100% proof that it’s related to illegal migration, but we’re now seeing the first recorded case of cholera in Stargard in years. It’s a dangerous disease that spreads very easily and often leads to deadly consequences. Most Poles are not vaccinated against cholera, as the vaccine is not mandatory. We know that those who had contact with the infected individual have been isolated, and the matter has been taken very seriously-which is a good thing,”
– said Tomasz Sakiewicz, editor-in-chief of TV Republika, during the program “Polityczna Kawa” [Political Coffee – ed.].
“The woman who contracted cholera had not left Poland, which means someone must have come to her-it could have been a Polish tourist, or someone who is not an illegal immigrant. A few years ago, when we published a report by Germany’s Koch Institute-not exactly a ‘pro-PiS’ institution-about the risks of cholera, typhus, and other unknown diseases, I remember being taken to court over it. Today, that warning may have become a reality,” he added.
The previous case of cholera in Poland occurred in 2019. The illness was reported in an Indian sailor, a crew member of a ship that had docked in the port of Świnoujście.