Expats have mixed views on dengue fumigation<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Expatriates living in Jakarta have different views on the
\neffectiveness of fumigation in preventing dengue fever outbreaks.<\/p>\n
Dr. Wright of the U.S. Embassy Medical Unit said that the
\nembassy has also appealed to their expatriate staff, who mostly
\nlive in endemic areas, such as Menteng, Central Jakarta, and
\nTebet and Cilandak in South Jakarta, to always cover water
\ncontainers and empty unused containers that can hold water.<\/p>\n
Dengue fever is carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito which
\nlays its eggs in clear, standing water. The mosquito, which has
\neasily recognizable stripes on its legs, bites mostly during
\ndaylight hours.<\/p>\n
"We told them to wear long sleeves and avoid going out during
\nthe day time, when the aedes aegypti mosquito usually come out,"
\nDr. Wright added. "Other preventive action, like fumigation, is
\nnot really effective."<\/p>\n
He also said that only three or four expatriate members of the
\nembassy staff had contracted dengue fever this year. In the 2003
\noutbreak, 10 Americans were infected with the disease. No deaths
\nwere recorded.<\/p>\n
Mark Winkel, an American working for a public relations firm
\nand living in Tebet, South Jakarta, who contracted dengue and was
\nhospitalized at Pondok Indah Hospital, South Jakarta, also views
\nfumigation, a major element of the Jakarta administration's
\nyearly battle against the disease, as ineffective. He thinks that
\nthe best way to prevent dengue from spreading is to eliminate the
\nmosquito's breeding ground.<\/p>\n
"There have been fumigations in my neighborhood," he
\nexplained. "It doesn't guarantee permanent results."<\/p>\n
"I don't think the fumigation is really effective. The
\nmosquitoes breed quickly. In just a few days after the
\nfumigation, the mosquitoes can appear again," Mark, , who has
\nbeen living in Jakarta for 10 years told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Korean Press Attache Kim Sang Sool said Koreans living in
\nJakarta were aware of the dengue outbreaks "from watching TV and
\nreading Indonesian newspapers".<\/p>\n
The Korean Embassy also disseminates information through a
\nKorean community group on how to prevent the disease.<\/p>\n
According to Kim, Korean people, who mostly live in apartments
\nall over the city, take preventive actions and fumigate in and
\noutside their apartments.<\/p>\n
"Until now I haven't heard of any Korean contracting the
\ndisease," said Kim.<\/p>\n
British Press Attache Faye Belnis said that she was not aware
\nof any incidence of dengue fever among the British community in
\nJakarta this year.<\/p>\n
She explained that the British Embassy had fumigated the area
\naround the embassy offices. "We took the initiative to fumigate
\nthe embassy. We have not been approached by city officials," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso previously complained that many embassies
\nand even state offices had refused to allow fumigation of their
\npremises.<\/p>\n
More than 1,900 cases of dengue fever have been reported in
\nJakarta, with 18 deaths, all Indonesians, recorded to date since
\nthe beginning of January.<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Wright, expatriate residents usually do not
\nlive in the country long enough to contract dengue hemorrhagic
\nfever (DHF), the most deadly from of the disease.<\/p>\n
"Americans are likely to have milder infections than the
\nIndonesians. They rarely get infected with dengue hemorrhagic
\nfever," Dr. Wright said.<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Wright, initial infections of dengue are more
\nlikely to cause milder symptoms. People who are reinfected for a
\nsecond or third time, are more likely to develop DHF.<\/p>\n
"The cases among Americans were not so overwhelming. The
\npatients stayed at the clinic around five days. But mostly they
\nwere being treated at home, where the clinic only provided them
\nwith fluids. If they got much worse, we would send the patient to
\nbe hospitalized in Singapore."<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expats-have-mixed-views-on-dengue-fumigation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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