TEHRAN As the summer hot season is approaching, the mass media of Azerbaijan are reporting a rise in cases of infectious diseases in this ex-Soviet republic.

The diseases mentioned are tuberculosis and renal disorders in southern cities, malaria in nonmountainous regions, and foot and mouth fever in Koyeh Chai.

Dr. Mahdi Mahdiov, a member of the Health and Environment Commission of the Musavat Party, in an interview with the daily *** Yeni Mosavat ***, said that in order to fight the diseases, health centers should be on the alert to cope with the alarming spread of anthrax, foot and mouth fever, typhus and other infectious diseases.

Mahdiov then said that substandard sanitary treatment of potable water is a major cause of the infectious diseases and also stressed that corpses left behind in the war in Chechnya are polluting the Terek and Sonja rivers which flow into the Caspian Sea. He added that it is vital that people are educated about preventive measures, especially amongst war refugees.

Due to the great possibility that these diseases could cross the border into Iran, it is of paramount importance for the Ministry of Health to take immediate preventive action.It is surprising that so far, the relevant officials have neither released a statement nor informed the public about safeguarding measures which should be taken to stop these diseases from crossing into Iran through passengers traveling from Azerbaijan.