Dengue fever cases on the increase as another victim dies
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A nine-year-old girl, identified as Tia Imelda, died in the Tarakan Hospital in West Jakarta on Thursday, two hours after she was admitted with dengue fever.
Hospital spokesman Hendry Manik said that Tia, who lived with her family in Pademangan Utara, North Jakarta, died at 12:30 a.m. after being placed in the hospital's intensive care unit at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
"The girl came here in a critical condition. She died before we could do anything to help her," Hendry said.
He said that two people have died of dengue in the hospital so far in November alone.
Another victim, identified as Alam, 4, died on Nov. 9 after being treated in the hospital for one day.
Alam, who lived with his parents in Kali Anyar, Tambora, West Jakarta, also arrived at the hospital in a critical condition.
Hendry said the hospital admitted five patients on Thursday, bringing the number of dengue patients to 49, including 15 children.
Jakarta Health Agency spokesman Evy Zelvino said the number of dengue cases had continued to increase over the last few months as the rainy season approached.
"More rain means more pools of water, which are ideal breeding places for mosquitoes," she said.
Dengue fever is transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which is most active during daylight hours and can be identified by the black and white stripes on its legs. The mosquito breeds in still, clean water.
She said that the only way to stop the spread of the disease was to drain open tanks and receptacles, cover bathing tanks and bury used cans as no vaccine for dengue had been found.
According to figures from the Jakarta Health Agency, the capital has recorded 16,840 cases of dengue from January to October, with 74 deaths. Meanwhile, the city's hospitals are continuing to receive dengue patients.
In the city-owned Pasar Rebo hospital in East Jakarta, a total of 53 patients are being treated for dengue, with 12 patients admitted in the last three days.
The hospital said that it had laid on another 26 beds and a number of rooms to prepare for an increase in the number of patients.
Another city-owned hospital, the Budi Asih, also in East Jakarta, received more patients this week compared to last week.
The hospital is now treating 49 patients, including 12 in the corridors.
At least 20 dengue patients were also being treated in the Persahabatan hospital in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, as of Thursday.
The Jakarta Health Agency recorded 18,000 cases of dengue fever last year, which led to about 82 deaths, mostly of children.
The highest number of cases occurred in February and March, in which months over 5,000 people fell sick with the disease.
Over the last few years, the agency's figures show that the number of cases of dengue fever in Greater Jakarta stood at 15,360 in 1998, 3,998 in 1999, 8,729 in 2000, 8,820 in 2001, 5,750 in 2002 and 14,071 in 2003.