Dengue cases double in four days
Dengue cases double in four days
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The number of dengue fever cases in Jakarta jumped from 263 cases
on Tuesday to 400 cases on Saturday, an official said.
The Jakarta health agency spokesman Evy Zelfino said on
Saturday that the total number of cases since December was 835,
while two patients have died.
"The number of dengue fever cases always increases in the
rainy season. After the floods in the coming weeks, the figure
can jump to an alarming level because the standing water is a
breeding place for the mosquito and bacteria of other flood-borne
diseases, such as diarrhea and leptospirosis," she told The
Jakarta Post.
Evy explained that a pattern of the endemic every December to
March, is when Jakarta is heavily inundated with water.
The health agency recorded around 18,000 cases of dengue from
December 2003 to March 2004, with about 82 deaths, mostly
children. The highest number of cases occurred in February and
March, in which over 5,000 people contracted the disease.
The agency's data also showed that during the same period for
dengue cases in Greater Jakarta hit a high of 15,360 in 1998,
3,998 in 1999, 8,729 in 2000, 8,820 in 2001, and 5,750 in 2002.
In an effort to curb the exposure of the disease, the agency
encouraged residents to drain water tanks, cover tubs and bury
used cans, and to fumigate the neighborhood once a week.
"We have also conducted mapping all areas in the capital
according to its status so that we can concentrate on prevention
and medication measures," Evy added.
Dengue fever is transmitted by Aedes aegypty mosquito, which
is active during daylight hours and can be identified by the
black and white stripes on its legs.
The symptoms include a fever of more than 38 Celsius degrees
that lasts between two and seven days, headaches, severe joint
pain, nausea and skin rashes.
The incubation period for the disease is between eight and 10
days for adults, and six days for children. There is no vaccine
or chemical prophylaxis available against dengue.
Leptospirosis is a disease, which bacteria is transmitted
through the urine of rats and domesticated animals. The patients
display various symptoms, including a prolonged fever, yellowish
eyes and fatigue, which requires immediate treatment.
The health agency has classified three subdistricts -- Pondok
Pinang and Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta, and Kayu Manis in
Central Jakarta -- as red status, while 70 others as yellow
status. Red status means three or four people have dengue fever,
and/or at least one person has died in the last three weeks in
the area, while yellow status means one or two people have
dengue.
The agency had also ordered hospitals to check the blood of
patients who have a fever so that they could be treated with
proper medication immediately, Evy said.