Nearly 5,000 people in Türkiye’s Tokat Province have sought medical attention after developing symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, Governor Abdullah Köklü said.

Residents began reporting similar symptoms in large numbers late last week, with the first cases recorded on Friday, October 9, according to Gazeta.ru.

“Since Friday [October 9], a certain infection has been recorded in the province. [...] At the moment, we have around 5,000 medical visits, of which about 70 [people] have been hospitalized,” Köklü said.

The governor added that 40 patients have since been discharged, while 30 remain in hospital. None of those still receiving treatment is in life-threatening condition.

Amid the outbreak, local authorities sent drinking water samples to Türkiye’s Ministry of Health for testing. The results are expected on October 13 or 14, Köklü said.

He urged residents to exercise caution when consuming food and water until specialists identify the source of the infection.

The governor also said that the necessary sanitation measures had been carried out in schools and government institutions. He added that there was currently no cause for alarm.