Anthrax blamed for eight deaths in W. Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Bogor<\/p>\n
At least eight people died in the country's eastern island of
\nSumbawa supposedly from anthrax, which also infected seven others
\nin the West Java city of Bogor.<\/p>\n
The eight victims, aged between seven and 55 years, were found
\ndead after having eaten infected goat meat, Antara news agency
\nreported on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The victims were identified as: Leni, 11; Rua, 55; Evi, 11;
\nSukarni, 10; Laila, 8; Manan, 7; Ema, 7; and Alia, 50. They were
\nall residents of the village of Lare'u in Donggo subdistrict,
\nabout 75 kilometers west of Bima regency in West Nusa Tenggara
\n(NTB).<\/p>\n
It was also reported that another victim, Jumardin, 10,
\nsurvived the potentially fatal disease.<\/p>\n
Ariadi, a spokesman of the Bima administration, was quoted as
\nsaying that the eight died on Dec. 18, but reports of their
\ndeaths only reached the district capital on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n
Health and husbandry officials were immediately sent to the
\narea and meat samples were sent to the NTB capital of Mataram for
\nmedical analysis, he said.<\/p>\n
Ariadi said that should laboratory results show that anthrax
\nwas the cause of death, the local administration would
\nimmediately launch a massive immunization program for villagers
\nand animals to prevent the deadly virus from spreading.<\/p>\n
Seven people were also suspected of suffering from anthrax in
\nKadumangu village of the Babakan Madang subdistrict, Bogor.<\/p>\n
The victims were apparently infected by the virus after they
\nwere exposed to infected goat meat given to them by a neighbor at
\nthe end of December. They had been admitted for treatment and
\nwere not in serious condition.<\/p>\n
One of the victims, Titi, 30, said on Wednesday that she felt
\npain in her arm, which was swollen with blisters on the skin, and
\nbroke out in intermittent high fevers.<\/p>\n
Her father, Suminta, who was also infected by the virus, said
\nthat Titi became sick on Sunday and he started to experience
\nsimilar symptoms on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said that he helped his neighbor, Ibu Omih, slaughter a
\nsick goat in mid-December. Part of the meat was later distributed
\nto a number of people in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
The case was brought to light after Omih took her daughter,
\nwho had fallen ill, to the community health post, where she
\nlearned that her daughter was suffering from anthrax.<\/p>\n
Of the seven people who had been infected by the disease, one
\nhas recovered so far.<\/p>\n
Head of the local disease control and community health unit,
\nSudadi Himawan, confirmed that there were seven people in the
\nvillage who had shown symptoms of anthrax, which is not uncommon
\nin Indonesia, and added that the areas in Bogor regency that are
\nprone to the virus included Citereup, Hambalang, Babakan Madang
\nand Karadenan.<\/p>\n
In July 2002, five workers at a cattle-breeding farm in Bogor
\nwere infected with the disease after being exposed to the blood
\nof an infected cow.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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