In Dushanbe, 270 people have been diagnosed with typhoid, at least one has died, and some 500 others have been hospitalized on suspicion of having contracted the disease. The outbreak, which has prompted the government to request assistance from the local UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs, was apparently caused by a failure to chlorinate the city\'s water supply, which mainly comes from the Varzo River. Over the past few days, radio and television have been transmitting Health Ministry warnings against drinking tap water and eating unwashed fruit. According to the ministry, 617 typhoid cases have been recorded in Dushanbe since the beginning of the year, representing a 64 percent increase over the same period in 2002. (AP)