Officials check for anthrax<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Health officials in Makassar carried out house-to-house checks
\non Thursday for signs of anthrax infections in humans following
\nthe deaths of at least 20 animals in the area.<\/p>\n
Sixty monitors were deployed to \"inform the population about
\nthe disease and explain what to do to prevent it, and at the same
\ntime ... detect any cases of human infection,\" Makassar's health
\noffice head, Naisah, said.<\/p>\n
Naisah told AFP that after the first case of animal anthrax
\ninfection was confirmed on Nov. 11, local authorities set up a
\ncenter to deal with the outbreak at Tamangapa village, with more
\nthan 200 people appearing for checks.<\/p>\n
She said that public health officers had taken blood samples
\nfrom 11 people. Four of them showed superficial symptoms of
\nanthrax and the rest were people with a high susceptibility to
\nthe disease because of their occupations.<\/p>\n
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease that typically affects
\nlivestock, but can be transmitted to humans through exposure to
\ninfected animals, either through handling or eating infected meat
\nthat is undercooked. Anthrax spores can also be inhaled, which is
\nusually fatal.<\/p>\n
Nurlina Saking, from the Makassar animal husbandry office,
\nsaid that more than 20 cows and water buffaloes were believed to
\nhave died of anthrax although only four cases were confirmed.<\/p>\n
A ban on the movement of livestock in and out of the area was
\nbeing enforced, she said, while officials were gearing up for a
\nmassive vaccination drive, with 65,000 doses being prepared for
\ndistribution.<\/p>\n
Sick animals were being treated with antibiotics, she added.
\nThe overstretched health system in Indonesia, a sprawling nation
\nof more than 17,000 islands, is already battling outbreaks of
\nbird flu as well as a resurgence in polio cases.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriantono said on
\nThursday the government was currently investigating reports that
\nanthrax had spread to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province after
\nseveral cases emerged in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"I have received reports that several Anthrax cases have been
\nfound in Sikka and Ende regencies on Flores island. I ask all of
\nus to deal with this problem seriously to prevent possible human
\ninfections,\" he told a group of poultry farmers at a meeting near
\nKupang, East Nusa Tenggara, as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
The minister urged the East Nusa Tenggara administration to
\ncarry out a large vaccination drive on cattle, water buffaloes
\nand horses in affected areas to prevent the spread of anthrax.<\/p>\n
\"We all should learn from what has happened in South Sulawesi,
\nwhere anthrax first emerged. Due to the local administrations'
\nnegligence, now the disease has spread to the province's capital
\nof Makassar,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-check-for-anthrax-1447893297",
"image": ""
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