Görele, Turkey: Over 700 seek medical care amid suspected gastroenteritis outbreak

More than 700 people have sought medical attention in the Görele district of Giresun, Turkey, over the last three days due to symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and weakness. Health officials suspect a gastroenteritis outbreak.

While most patients were treated as outpatients and discharged, three individuals—two children and one adult—were hospitalized for further treatment. Health teams have launched an investigation to identify the source of the illness. Initial assessments found no common exposure or specific clustering among the patients.

The Görele District Governor's Office has issued an emergency warning, advising residents not to use tap water without boiling it first and to rely on bottled water for drinking needs until further notice.

Local authorities, including the Görele Municipality, stated that routine checks showed residual chlorine levels in the municipal water supply were at an adequate level of approximately 0.5 ppm. However, additional water samples have been collected from high-density case areas and sent to the Ministry of Health and provincial laboratories for detailed microbiological analysis.