Blood and urine tests conducted on people, rats

Blood and urine tests conducted on people, rats

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following the public's concern over the possibility of
postflood diseases, most notably the dreaded leptospirosis
outbreak throughout the capital, the Jakarta administration began
implementing a series of blood and urine tests on people and rats
in high risk locations.

The testing is the administration's campaign to eradicate rats
in certain neighborhoods.

Section head of epidemiology surveillance at the City Health
Agency, Paripurna H.S., said on Sunday that the urine and blood
tests had taken place in 13 locations where the disease, which
had killed nine people recently, was found.

"People living in within a 200-meter radius from the locations
where the disease was found are our main target. We have to check
if they have been infected by the bacterium or not," he said.

As of Sunday, 29 people had been found in Jakarta to be
infected with the slender aerobic spirochete which can be
primarily found in pigs, dogs and rats and is transferred quite
easily during floods. Depending on the type of disease the
symptoms may include high fever, vomiting, headache or irritated
eyes. The average incubation period of the parasite is 10 days
once it enters a host.

Governor Sutiyoso had announced earlier that the disease
sufferers would receive free medical treatment.

The need for conducting blood and urine tests on the rats is
to determine if they are indeed responsible for the outbreak.

After the administration's declaration of war many people
began to catch rats using rattraps provided to each house in
three community units of Kampung Bali subdistrict in Central
Jakarta on Saturday evening before the agency began conducting
the tests on Sunday.

The agency has been concentrating the tests in Central Jakarta
-- covering Palmerah, Petamburan and Bendungan Hilir subdistricts
-- and West Jakarta -- in Kapuk, Kedaung Kaliangke, Kota Bambu,
Jati Pulo and Cengkareng Barat subdistricts -- where most of the
cases of the disease were found.

The blood and urine samples will later be taken to a
laboratory in Bogor, West Java, for examination.

Despite the implementation of the tests, doctors in public
health centers have been urged to stay alert for people with
symptoms of high fever, vomiting, headaches or bloodshot eyes.

"Should there be people with such complaints, the doctors must
suspect that they are infected by leptospirosis and need early
help," said Paripurna, adding that patients will be given
antibiotics.

The agency will also continue its supervision in prone areas
and will disseminate appropriate information to the public about
the diseases and the mechanism of how it infects the people.

Paripurna called on the people to keep their houses clean. He
also urged everyone, especially those who do not use modern
utensils, to stay hygienic by thoroughly washing their hands
before eating or preparing food.

"The leptospire bacteria can stay alive for weeks in standing
water or mud even after its host has died. Therefore, people
working in such places must be careful as the bacteria can enter
the body through mucous membranes or open wounds," he said.

Paripurna said there were 170 species of leptospire bacteria
each of which has different symptoms.