Minister allays anthrax fears<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi called for calm on Saturday
\nover the anthrax scare that has affected many countries.<\/p>\n
He said that even though the disease was highly infectious, it
\nwas curable if it was diagnosed and treated early.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said Indonesia had experience in handling anthrax as
\nthe Bacillus anthracis bacterium, which causes the disease, was
\nendemic to several regions in the country.<\/p>\n
He said that it was also known as splenic fever as the
\nbacterium attacks the spleen of animals, which later leads to the
\nthinning of the blood.<\/p>\n
\"Anthrax is actually a disease of animals and we have
\nsucceeded in overcoming the spread of the disease here.
\nAntibiotics or a derivate of tetracycline will cure the disease.<\/p>\n
\"I haven't received a report on anthrax spores sent by mail.
\nBut I cannot say we are not vulnerable because this is a small
\nworld,\" Sujudi said after opening a service that offers
\nconsultations for heart patients over the phone.<\/p>\n
People contract the disease after consuming the meat of
\ninfected animals, or inhaling the bacteria while handling
\ninfected animals' fur.<\/p>\n
People working with soil contaminated with the bacterium in
\nendemic areas or having direct contact with an infected animal
\nwhich has an open wound will also expose them to the disease.
\nMostly cows, goats, sheep and buffaloes carry the disease.<\/p>\n
There are various symptoms, but generally those who have
\ncontracted the disease will complain of nausea, fever or
\nulcerating nodules on the skin three days to one week after
\nexposure.<\/p>\n
Those who have inhaled the bacterium may suffer breathing
\ndifficulties, fever, chills, weakness, headache, abdominal and
\nchest pains, which, Sujudi said, was the most dangerous form of
\nthe disease.<\/p>\n
\"People suspecting they have received anthrax spores in their
\nmail can send the specimen to the ministry's Directorate General
\nof Communicable Disease Control and Environmental Health for
\nexamination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The directorate general, known as Ditjen P2M&KL, is located at
\nJl. Percetakan Negara No. 29 in East Jakarta.<\/p>",
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