Jakarta to be hit by dengue outbreak<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakartans should prepare themselves for one of the worst
\noutbreaks of dengue fever in years as the city -- one of the
\nregions with a high risk of dengue -- will likely experience the
\npeak of the disease's five-year cycle this year, a health
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
\"All elements of society should anticipate the possibility of
\nthe worst outbreak of this disease in years. Public participation
\nis the key to minimizing the spread of the disease,\" the City
\nHealth Agency spokeswoman Evy Zelfiano told The Jakarta Post on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
She estimated that the worst months could be March and April.<\/p>\n
Previously, the health ministry issued a warning that dengue
\nfever cases would jump significantly this year due to the five-
\nyear cycle of the outbreak.<\/p>\n
Citing the city health agency's data collected from hospitals
\nand health centers in the city, Evy said dengue fever peaked at
\n15,360 cases in 1998, which is far higher than other years.<\/p>\n
The city only recorded 5,861 cases of dengue fever in 1995,
\n7,081 cases in 1996, 5,190 cases in 1997, 3,998 cases in 1999,
\n8,729 cases in 2,000, 8,820 cases in 2001 and 5,750 cases in 2002<\/p>\n
More recent data shows that dengue cases also began increasing
\nin January with 505 cases, compared to the previous months which
\nonly reached 227 in last December, 205 in November, 192 in
\nOctober, and 207 in September.<\/p>\n
\"As of Feb. 27, we have recorded 443 cases of dengue fever,
\ntherefore we should not be lackadaisical about preparing for
\nfuture pestilential outbreaks that may be loosed upon the
\nmasses,\" Evy added.<\/p>\n
According to Evy, the city recently began monitoring the cases
\nthrough hospitals and public health centers in each subdistrict.<\/p>\n
She said the agency would follow up on every public report of
\ndengue with an epidemiological investigation to confirm that the
\ndisease was genuine in that area.<\/p>\n
\"If we find that there are at least two persons who suffer
\nfrom the fever (in one area) without clear reasons, we will work
\non the assumption that there is dengue proliferation there,\" she
\nsaid, adding that as a follow up of the finding, the agency
\nofficers would examine larval matter from 20 houses in
\nsurrounding areas.<\/p>\n
\"If we find dengue-infected mosquito larvae from only one of
\nthe houses, the city health agency will send the officers to
\nfumigate the whole area,\" said Evy.<\/p>\n
The virus is transmitted into a human body by the aedes
\naegypty mosquitoes, which lay their eggs on the surface of
\nrelatively unpolluted, stagnant water. Because of this, areas
\nthat are prone to floods are more likely to report cases of the
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Evy stressed that public participation in cleaning their areas
\nwas very important in preventing the spread of the disease.<\/p>\n
The health agency spokeswoman said that the most effective way
\nto prevent the spread of the disease was to cut the metamorphosis
\ncycle of the mosquitoes, the carrier of the dengue fever virus.<\/p>\n
\"We should not give an opportunity to the mosquitoes to
\nmultiply, and that means changing the water in bath containers
\nevery week and burying scattered cans and tires that could
\ncontain water for them to reproduce,\" said Evy, adding that water
\ncontainers should have lids.<\/p>\n
She also encouraged the public to use mosquito abatement
\npowder, or abate, to kill the eggs of mosquitoes.<\/p>\n
Evy said she did not know why dengue peaked every five years.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jakarta-to-be-hit-by-dengue-outbreak-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }