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)