Minister urges public not to panic over virus<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Health and Social Welfare Achmad
\nSujudi urged calm on Friday over reports of the possible spread
\nof hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), saying the disease had
\nnot reached epidemic proportions in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We have not yet categorized the spread of the disease as
\ndangerous because it is still under control and we should not
\ncause the general public to panic because of the disease,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post in his office.<\/p>\n
The minister added: \"This is not a deadly virus, although it
\ndoes not have a cure. The children will be fine if they receive
\nproper treatment and are isolated from other children to prevent
\nthe spread (of the disease).\"<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately, Sri Astuti Suparmanto, the director
\ngeneral of the ministry's National Institute for Health Research
\nand Development, said her office was studying the possibility
\nthat the enterovirus which causes the illness was spread by
\ntravelers from Singapore and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"In recent cases in Indonesia, it is possible that the spread
\nof the virus was caused by travelers. Those who have vacationed
\nin Singapore or Malaysia may have been exposed to the virus ...
\nbut we are still probing this,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Outbreaks of the disease, which is categorized as lethal in
\nsome countries, hit the neighboring countries of Singapore and
\nMalaysia in the past few months.<\/p>\n
In Singapore, at least 1,150 children under the age of five
\nsuffered from the HFMD, with four of the children dying. Three
\nchildren perished from the disease in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's health agency said on Thursday it had recorded some
\n30 cases of children coming down with the contagious illness in
\nthe past two weeks, alarming parents in the capital.<\/p>\n
The disease, known locally by the acronym MKT (mulut-kaki-
\ntangan), so far has been found mainly in the city's more upscale
\nenclaves, such as Pondok Indah in South Jakarta. A preschool
\ncatering mostly to foreigners was closed for two days last week
\nafter two of the children were found to have the disease.<\/p>\n
\"The virus can be lethal if there are complications. But this
\nis a rare occurrence,\" Sri Astuti said.<\/p>\n
According to Minister Sujudi, his office is still gathering
\ndata about the disease and closely monitoring its developments,
\nparticularly in the capital and Batam, where the disease was
\nfirst reported. Batam is located very near to Singapore.<\/p>\n
The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of influenza,
\nbeing marked by fever, a sore throat and runny nose. He added
\nthat the initial symptoms of the disease normally were followed
\nby mouth ulcers, rashes on the hands, feet or buttocks, vomiting
\nand diarrhea.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said the disease was more commonly spread by human
\ncontact, not through food.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe the adults travel and come home with the disease. Since
\nchildren are weaker than adults, they are the ones who get the
\ndisease. But I underline that the country does not at this point
\nneed to impose quarantines or other extreme preventive actions,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Sri Astuti urged people in the capital to increase their
\nresistance by maintaining healthy lifestyles.<\/p>\n
\"People must not panic since the illness can be avoided. As
\nlong as our bodies are healthy, we will not catch it,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The enterovirus can be spread through several mediums,
\nincluding mucus or saliva and food or drink contaminated by the
\nvirus, she said.<\/p>\n
\"Flies and cockroaches can become carriers of the virus,
\ntherefore a healthy environment is a must. Parents must keep
\ntheir children away from unsterile food and prevent such habits
\nas biting their nails,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Children under the age of 10 are more susceptible to the
\ndisease, but children still have strong resistance, she said.<\/p>\n
\"Simple precautionary measures such as washing your hands
\nbefore eating, having cooked food instead of raw food and healthy
\nhabits will effectively help fight the disease.<\/p>\n
\"If the virus invades the brain, it can lead to meningitis or
\nmyocarditis. In the chest it can cause pleurodynia. Only if the
\nvirus enters the brain or the chest can it be fatal.<\/p>\n
\"But I think these cases are not happening here. So let us
\nhope that everything will be OK and people take the necessary
\npreventive actions,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Separately, City Animal Husbandry Agency chief Chaidir Taufik
\nIka said the virus that attacks children is different from the
\none usually found in cattle.<\/p>\n
\"HFMD is not similar because what the children have is from
\nthe enterovirus, which cannot be found in cows. So I think meat
\ndoes not spread the disease,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Chaidir, Indonesia is the only country in Asia
\nfree from the foot-and-mouth disease found in cattle, and the
\ncentral government has for some time restricted beef imports from
\nAsia.<\/p>\n
\"We only import beef from Ireland, with plans maybe to import
\nfrom Australia and New Zealand, so people should not be worried
\nabout consuming beef,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Governor Sutiyoso is not alarmed by the disease. He
\nsimply said: \"The City Health Agency has not yet reported
\nanything to me.\" (dja\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-urges-public-not-to-panic-over-virus-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}