Diphtheria outbreak kills nine children<\/p>\n
Yuliansyah
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nBanjarmasin, South Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Health officials in the South Kalimantan regency of Banjar
\nadvised residents of Aluh-aluh district on Tuesday to curb
\noutdoor activities following an outbreak of diphtheria that has
\nkilled nine children over the past six months.<\/p>\n
Head of Banjar Health Office Rosihan Adhani said that the
\ndistrict had been temporarily isolated after the death of the
\nchildren aged between one and nine.<\/p>\n
Diphtheria is a contagious disease caused by Corynebacterium
\ndiphtheriae bacteria with a common symptom of sore throat.
\nUsually affecting children, the illness is transmitted through
\nsaliva.<\/p>\n
Rosihan said that his office had declared the diphtheria
\noutbreak an extraordinary circumstance that occurred for the
\nfirst time in the district in the past decade. The district is a
\nhome to 1,370 people.<\/p>\n
He said that to control the disease, his office had
\nestablished an emergency post in Simpang Warga Luar village
\nwithin Aluh-aluh district.<\/p>\n
The public's lack of information on the disease has
\ncontributed to the rapid spread of diphtheria, according to
\nRosihan.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of parents, in an attempt to be cautious, panicked
\ndue to the outbreak and believe that the disease could only be
\ncured by traditional medicines. They prefer going to traditional
\nhealers instead of seeing doctors at community health centers.<\/p>\n
People who suffer from diphtheria show similar symptoms like a
\nlack of appetite, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck and
\nlesions appear at the back of the throat which looks like a thick
\nfibrous membrane. As the disease develops, the membrane often
\nobstructs the airway and results in suffocation of a patient.<\/p>\n
\"We are convinced that such symptoms are caused by magical
\nsubstances or supernatural creatures,\" said one of the residents
\nin Simpang village.<\/p>\n
In fact, it is a molecule of diphtheria toxin that kills a
\ncell in the human heart or central nervous system which often
\ncauses death. The bacteria of C. diphtheriae can produce 5,000
\nmolecules of such toxin in one hour.<\/p>\n
\"To prevent the worst possibility of infection that the
\nepidemic can bring, I urge children not to play outside their
\nhouses,\" Rosihan said, adding that his office had also screened
\nchildren who had yet received the tetanus-whooping cough
\nvaccination (DPT).<\/p>\n
The diphtheria vaccine is part of the DPT which is given in
\ninfancy. The vaccine, however, does not give life-long immunity
\nso it requires a booster shot every 10 years.<\/p>\n
Generally, a doctor will give a passive immunization with an
\nantitoxin to those who are suspected of having the disease
\nalready.<\/p>\n
In addition, penicillin or erythromycin is given in a bid to
\nstop further growth of the bacteria and to prevent the patient
\nfrom becoming a carrier after recovery.<\/p>",
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