Dengue fever affects 40,000 per year

DENPASAR, Bali: Hospitals across the country treat around 40,000 dengue fever patients annually, with the death rate reaching between 1.5 and 2 percent.

Director of Communicable Disease from Animals Thomas Suroso told a seminar here on Wednesday that most cases were usually found in Jakarta, followed by Surabaya and the South Sumatra capital of Palembang. Lombok is not considered one of the most vulnerable areas despite the fact that a huge outbreak took place there last year.

Purwokerto in Central Java is the only dengue fever-free town, thanks to its residents' high awareness to keep their environment clean and remind each other of the disease, according to Thomas.

He called on the Bali administration to emulate Purwokerto in battling dengue fever due to the latter's status as one of the world's most famous tourist destinations. -- Antara