Chikungunya spreads in five regencies in Central Java<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
The widespread perception that Chikungunya disease, similar to
\ndengue but not fatal, hits sporadically certain regions in the
\ncountry is apparently untrue.<\/p>\n
An official said on Friday that the disease spread in five
\nregencies in Central Java alone last year.<\/p>\n
Budihardjo, deputy head of the Central Java provincial health
\noffice, revealed that 368 people were infected with the disease
\nin Klaten regency, 246 in Sragen, 108 in Tegal, 92 in Boyolali
\nand six in Purbalingga.<\/p>\n
Central Java comprises 35 regencies\/municipalities.<\/p>\n
"Similar cases were also reported in other parts of Central
\nJava province, but the number was small," said Budihardjo.<\/p>\n
He added that, early this year, the health office also
\nreceived reports that the disease had started again to spread to
\nsome areas in the province.<\/p>\n
He did not spell out the number of people infected with the
\ndisease this year, saying that his office was following up the
\nreports.<\/p>\n
He explained that the disease was not fatal, but it was
\npainful and lasted for five to 10 days.<\/p>\n
"People infected with the disease have to take rest and
\nconsume highly nutritious food in order that they quickly
\nrecover," he said.<\/p>\n
Chikungunya is contracted through a mosquito bite and is
\ncharacterized by an extremely high fever, but differs from dengue
\nin its symptoms of severe joint pain (arthralgia), which lasts up
\nto a week. The disease is spread by the Aedes albopictus
\nmosquito, which carries the Chikungunya virus.<\/p>\n
The first reported case of Chikungunya was in 1952 in
\nTanzania. In Indonesia, the first reported case was in 1973 in
\nSamarinda, East Kalimantan. It spread to Kuala Tungkal, Jambi
\nprovince, in 1980 and to Yogyakarta, Martapura and Ternate in
\n1983. Various cases have been reported recently in Cirebon and
\nBandung, West Java province, and the latest report was last week
\nin Bantul regency, Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
On the same occasion, Budihardjo revealed that, besides
\nChikungunya, dengue was also a cause for concern for the Central
\nJava health office.<\/p>\n
Dengue infected 8,515 residents in Central Java last year and
\nspread to 560 subdistricts in 29 regencies\/municipalities in the
\nprovince. "Some 2.18 percent of the total infected residents died
\nlast year due to dengue," said Budihardjo.<\/p>\n
The number of people contracting dengue last year was much
\ngreater than those with the disease in 2002, who numbered 6,483.<\/p>\n
In order to prevent the disease spreading again in the
\nprovince this year, the office will intensify fumigation in some
\nplaces suspected of being breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti
\nmosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chikungunya-spreads-in-five-regencies-in-central-java-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}