A member of the Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has contracted cholera during the G20 summit in India, according to reports from The Moscow Times.
The delegation returned from the summit on September 11th aboard an Il-96 aircraft. Upon arrival, passengers underwent medical examinations, and one individual was diagnosed with cholera. The infected diplomat was on the same plane as journalists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Lavrov and Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova took a different flight.
However, it's possible they had contact with the infected individual during the summit.
Journalists who were part of the delegation have been quarantined, and some were forcibly hospitalized on September 17th.
Those without symptoms were placed in an infectious disease hospital despite negative tests and are being held under "strict regime," meaning they are not allowed to go for walks or visit relatives.
Lavrov is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and is expected to have about 20 bilateral meetings, including one with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial disease of the gastrointestinal tract that can spread epidemically. The main symptom is severe diarrhea. If untreated, the disease can lead to dehydration, seizures, and death within a few hours.
