'Chikungunya' outbreaks hits Tangerang<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
Nur Fadillah should have been enjoying her school holidays like
\nher friends. But the 12-year-old girl had to stay in bed as she
\ncould not move her swollen arms and legs in the past four days.<\/p>\n
"I also feel the itchy on the swollen parts of my legs and
\narms," she said.<\/p>\n
Her father Yunus, 44, said that he also began to have the
\nsimilar symptoms two days ago.<\/p>\n
"It's like having a fever. I feel cold and have joint pain. I
\nalso feel dizzy and sleepy all the time," he said.<\/p>\n
The pair are among over 50 residents of Kampong Pintu Kapuk,
\nBojong Renged subdistrict in Teluk Naga district, Tangerang, who
\nhave contracted chikungunya.<\/p>\n
First recognized in its epidemic form in East Africa in 1952,
\nit has continued to cause major epidemics in Africa, India and
\nSoutheast Asia. Also known as epidemic polyarthritis and rash, or
\nbuggy creek virus, the first case reported in Indonesia was in
\nSamarinda, East Kalimantan, in 1973 and the last was in 1983 in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
After a hiatus of almost 20 years, chikungunya broke out again
\nin early 2001 in Muara Enim, South Sulawesi and Aceh, then in
\nOctober of the same year in Bogor, West Java. The epidemic struck
\nBekasi in West Java, and Purworejo and Klaten in Central Java in
\n2002.<\/p>\n
Having similar symptoms to dengue fever, chikungunya, however,
\nis characterized by a briefer episode of fever, persistent
\narthralgia is some cases, and by the absence of deaths.
\nChikungunya is a self-limiting febrile virus that is transmitted
\nthrough the bite of aedes aegypti or aedes africanus mosquito.<\/p>\n
The illness usually lasts for three to 10 days, with
\narthralgia remaining a problem for weeks to several months after
\nthe initial phase.<\/p>\n
Since there is currently no antiviral available, prevention of
\nthe disease focuses at controlling mosquitoes and avoiding
\nmosquito bites, while the patients should take enough rest and
\neat nutritious food.<\/p>\n
Tangerang regental health agency, with help from the Ministry
\nof Health, has sent a team of medical doctors to the small
\nvillage near the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which will
\nbe affected by the expansion of the airport in the near future.<\/p>\n
The team provided free medical treatment for villagers who are
\nsuffering with chikungunya symptoms and took blood samples for
\nlaboratory tests.<\/p>\n
Head of the communicable disease prevention unit at the
\nregental health agency, Yuliah Iskandar, said that the agency
\nwould fumigate the village and other villages in the whole
\ndistrict to curb the epidemic.<\/p>\n
"We advise residents to immediately get a check up at public
\nhealth centers if they begin to feel the symptoms. We also tell
\nthem to keep their environment clean to prevent mosquitoes from
\nbreeding," she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chikungunya-outbreaks-hits-tangerang-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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