Indonesia polio cases hit 8, one treated in Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has detected two new polio cases, bringing the total
\nnumber of infected patients in the country's first outbreak of
\nthe crippling disease in a decade to eight children, a senior
\nhealth official said in Jakarta on Saturday.<\/p>\n
All cases so far come from villages near the West Java city of
\nSukabumi, but one of them is now being treated in a Jakarta
\nhospital.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is the 16th country previously believed to be polio-
\nfree to be reinfected in the past two years.<\/p>\n
\"Our update today is eight positive cases of polio. The
\nadditional two cases come from the same cluster in Sukabumi,\"
\nsaid Yusharmen, director of epidemiology at Indonesia's health
\nministry.<\/p>\n
Asked about the 20-month old polio patient who is now in
\nJakarta, Yusharmen said: \"She came from Sukabumi and was brought
\nto Jakarta by her family.\"<\/p>\n
Polio mainly hits children under five and can cause
\nirreversible paralysis, deformation and sometimes death.<\/p>\n
The outbreak occurred last month in Girijaya village near
\nSukabumi, about 100 km (62 miles) south of Jakarta. Additional
\nconfirmed cases have since emerged in neighboring villages, with
\nseveral suspected cases still being investigated.<\/p>\n
Around 5,000 children in West Java have been vaccinated in
\nrecent weeks. Preparations are under way for a major program to
\nvaccinate 5.2 million children at the end of the month across the
\nprovinces of West Java, Banten and the city of Jakarta which
\nadministratively is a province.<\/p>\n
The WHO has said the Indonesian cases are almost identical to
\na strain circulating in parts of Africa and that the disease may
\nhave reached the country from Africa via the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Health officials said it may have been carried by a migrant
\nworker or a Haj pilgrim who visited Saudi Arabia before returning
\nto Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. --Reuters<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-polio-cases-hit-8-one-treated-in-jakarta-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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