There's no need to panic over anthrax: Experts<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A package bearing no return address sent from an African
\ncountry to an expatriate here was rushed for examination earlier
\nthis month to the Bogor-based Veterinary Research Center
\n(Balitvet) following fears that it may have contained spores of
\nthe anthrax bacterium.<\/p>\n
The result: the package contained a letter, but no suspicious
\nmaterials.<\/p>\n
Experts on communicable diseases from both the Ministry of
\nHealth and the Ministry of Agriculture have provided assurances
\nthat the government has not only mastered ways of dealing with
\nthe endemic anthrax, but also has a strategy for anticipating the
\npopulation's fear of contracting the bacterium or other
\nbiological hazards through the mail.<\/p>\n
\"Just don't get into a panic,\" said I Nyoman Kandun, an expert
\nstaffer on epidemiology and environmental sanitation at the
\nMinistry of Health, adding: \"Anthrax is curable when it is
\ndiagnosed and treated immediately. Moreover, anthrax infection is
\nnot contagious among humans.\"<\/p>\n
Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend, the experts
\nexplained that the bacterium that causes anthrax infection,
\nBacillus anthracis, can only attack human beings effectively when
\nits spores are pressurized into very minute particles and
\npackaged in an aerosol form. As soon as the sprayed particles are
\ninhaled, they cause an infection in the lungs.<\/p>\n
There are various symptoms, but generally those who are
\ninfected with anthrax through inhalation -- the most serious form
\nof the disease -- suffer from severe tiredness and breathing
\ndifficulties. The patients may suffer from shock or lose
\nconsciousness. Without proper treatment, the patient may die
\nwithin 24 hours of exposure.<\/p>\n
\"Simple medication through an injection of penicillin or its
\nderivatives can cure an anthrax infection. All paramedics in
\nhospitals and public health centers (Puskesmas) have been well-
\ntrained to handle diseases, including those caused by anthrax,
\nwhile the medicines are easy to get,\" Kandun said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want this anthrax bacterium to cause a frightening
\nepidemic in our country,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Many parts of the world are now in fear of anthrax-laced mail
\nattacks, a biological terror that has claimed at least three
\nAmericans this month and infected 11 others, following last
\nmonth's terrorist attacks in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Reports said that some of the items of mail had been sent from
\nSoutheast Asian countries, including Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Bacillus anthracis is at the head of the list of bacteria used
\nas biological weapons because, in comparison to other bacteria,
\nthe anthrax bug has longer stability in the environment, a
\nshorter incubation period, is easy to produce and is not a common
\ndisease but can be easily treated.<\/p>\n
Suprodjo Hardjo Utomo, Balitvet's chief researcher, pointed
\nout that the knowledge and the technology needed to proliferate
\nthe spores was complex and was not widely available, removing the
\npossibility of widespread anthrax-breeding to generate spores in
\nlarge amounts, especially in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He explained that, although the spores of the bacterium were
\ndormant, which meant they could live for up to 60 years and could
\nsurvive on an animal's carcass, bone, fur, wool, skin, dried
\nblood, and in the soil and grass, they could be destroyed by
\nexposure to high temperatures for several hours.<\/p>\n
Emir A. Siregar, chairman of the veterinarian commission at
\nthe Ministry of Agriculture's directorate-general of husbandry,
\npointed out that many Indonesian provinces were anthrax endemic
\nareas. They included, among others, Jakarta, West Java, Central
\nJava, Jambi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Central
\nSulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"The bacterium has been on the earth for hundreds of years,
\nsince the advent of animal domestication. It cannot be eradicated
\nbut certainly can be controlled through vaccination in order to
\ndecrease its incidence among livestock such as goats, cows, sheep
\nand even ostriches,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, Siregar added, instances of anthrax outbreaks
\naffecting human beings had only been reported in four provinces,
\nnamely West Java, Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa
\nTenggara.<\/p>\n
Guidelines for handling suspect mail packages:<\/p>\n
* Do not shake or empty envelopes deemed to be suspicious.<\/p>\n
* Place them in a plastic bag or wrap them inside clothes,
\npapers or other containers to prevent leakage.<\/p>\n
* Isolate the area where the suspect item was received and
\nprevent people from entering.<\/p>\n
* Wash your hands to prevent any hazardous materials from coming
\ninto contact with your face.<\/p>\n
* If the suspect item is received in an office, report it to the
\npolice or security guards.<\/p>\n
* Make a list of people present in the room when the item was
\nreceived. Give the list to health centers or the police for
\nfurther examination.<\/p>",
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