Dengue death toll increases to 117<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An outbreak of dengue in the country's 27
\nprovinces has killed 117 people and hospitalized more than 5,000
\nover the past five months, a senior health official said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Director General of Communicable Disease Control and
\nEnvironmental Health Hadi M. Abednego said East Java recorded the
\nhighest rate, with 2,484 hospitalized and 57 deaths. Jakarta came
\nsecond with 1,880 hospitalized and 28 deaths, followed by West
\nJava with 523 hospitalized and 11 deaths.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the actual number of people affected and
\nthe fatality rate could be higher, because some cases might have
\ngone unrecorded, especially in remote places.<\/p>\n
Hadi warned the public against the disease, which usually
\nattacks during the transition period between seasons. \"Dengue
\ncan't be cured yet. It can only be prevented,\" Hadi said.<\/p>\n
\"Keep your environment clean. Get rid of stagnant water, which
\nis the usual breeding place for the Aedes aegypty mosquitoes that
\ncause the disease,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dengue usually hits densely-populated areas and affects
\nchildren who spend most of their time outdoors. The Ministry of
\nHealth has been fighting the disease by, among other methods,
\nlaunching periodical fumigating.<\/p>\n
Hadi said outbreaks of dengue usually occur in December or
\nJanuary. \"But in several provinces, such as Bandung, Jakarta,
\nSurabaya and Yogyakarta, they occur between June and July,\" Hadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hadi also warned the public against other diseases which
\nusually break out during season's transition. Diarrhea, typhoid,
\neye and skin diseases were examples.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Hadi also warned that the bites from other types of
\nmosquitoes, such as Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia and Aedes kochi,
\ncould cause elephantiasis.<\/p>\n
\"When people are affected by elephantiasis, parts of their
\nbody will swell, including their legs, breasts, even their
\ngenitals,\" Hadi said.<\/p>\n
Elephantiasis, caused by certain worms whose larva are
\ntransferred to the human body through mosquito bites, can be
\ncured, he said. The swelling, however, would remain. (31)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dengue-death-toll-increases-to-117-1447893297",
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