Dengue fears brought on by rainy season

Dengue fears brought on by rainy season

JAKARTA (JP): After the drought comes the rain. And with it,
physicians warn, the danger of a spread in dengue fever.

Tri Ruspandji from Sumber Waras State Hospital said the deadly
fever, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, would likely
increase in December.

Speaking to journalists, Tri said studies have shown that in
the last few years children under the age of nine have been the
most susceptible.

"Perhaps it's because mosquitoes are mostly found in public
areas such as schools, places of worship, offices or cinemas," he
explained.

To avoid infection, Tri urged people to diligently drain water
areas, such as reservoirs, flower pots and swimming pools. He
also warned people to consistently clean places untouched by
sunlight.

These places are fertile breeding grounds for the aedes
aegypti mosquito which transmits the dengue virus.

The first medically recorded cases of dengue was in 1968 at
the Sumber Waras Hospital and the Dr Sutomo General Hospital in
Surabaya, East Java.

The most severe dengue epidemic occurred in 1988, when 1,527
people in 25 provinces died of the fever. The same year 47,573
people were infected with dengue fever.

Each year 25 out of every 1,000 Indonesians are infected with
the fever.

According to the Health Ministry, 18,789 people were infected
in the first six-months of this year of which 367 have died.

A dengue fever hot line (021) 83792222 has been set up for
those needing further information on dengue fever. The hot line
is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, reports of further dengue casualties keep coming
in. In East Kalimantan, Antara reported that six people have died
of the fever in the last three months. (09)