Dengue fever kills three in Yogya

YOGYAKARTA: Dengue fever has killed at least three people in Yogyakarta since last week, while seven others are being hospitalized for the same disease, health officials said on Tuesday.

"Three people died in Tahunan neighborhood, Umbulharjo subdistrict, during the last week," Yogyakarta district office head Choirul Anwar said.

He said the mosquito-linked disease should be given serious attention by relevant authorities as Yogyakarta was suffering an outbreak of dengue fever.

Choirul said his office had made various efforts to contain the contagious disease, including by providing guidance on how to prevent it.

"People's high mobility has helped dengue fever to spread across the city. Therefore, one of the most effective measures to prevent the disease is to drain, close and bury (holes that accommodate water)," he added.

He said at least 503 cases of dengue fever in Yogyakarta were recorded by the end of last year, while in 2002 the number of patients was only 374.

The area worst hit by the disease was Umbulharjo subdistrict, home to 10,000 people. --JP

;JP;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-trial-Makassar Police blamed for trial delay JP/5/acr

Police blamed for trial delay

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: The South Sulawesi High Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday it had completed the case files of two police officers charged with human rights abuses in Papua province a month ago.

Prosecutors could not present the dossiers to an ad hoc court in Makassar, South Sulawesi, because the National Police had yet to hand over the two suspects to them for trial.

"There are no other problems outstanding. The drafting of charges is already completed and has been approved by the attorney general ... But what is hampering us is that the two suspects have not been handed over to us," said Mailan Syarieff, a senior official at the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor's Office.

He said his office had twice written to the National Police asking for the handover of the suspects -- Brig. Gen. Johny Wainal Usman and Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing.

However, the request had not been responded to as the two suspects remained on active duty, Mailan added.

Wainal and Daud are both charged with having a role in a deadly clash between police officers and people in Abepura, Papua, in November 2000, which killed at least five civilians.

The clash was sparked by sweeps on local villagers, following an attack on a police station in Abepura by a group of armed men. --JP

;JP;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-anthrax-Bandung W. Java people warned about anthrax JP/5/

W. Java people warned about anthrax

BANDUNG: People in West Java have been warned about the danger of anthrax when selecting or buying goats or cattle intended for sacrifice during this year's Idul Adha festivities, which fall on Feb. 1, following a recent occurrence of the disease in Bogor.

West Java husbandry office head Iman Nugraha said on Tuesday people should be wary if they found their sacrificial animals exhibited certain phenomena such as diarrhea, fever, bleeding in the nose, mouth or ears, or other symptoms.

Anthrax can infect people via the urine, blood or meat of contaminated animals. The disease can cause the death of those who contract it.

Fatimah Resmiati, a senior official at the West Java health office, admitted his office had received a report that anthrax had killed three people in Karadenan neighborhood, Cibinong, Bogor.

The victims -- goat owner Salam, 40, his son Saiful Saleh, 9, and his nephew Atim, 16, -- had positively been identified by doctors on Jan. 7 as being infected with anthrax.

"They suffered from the disease on Dec. 27 after eating meat from a goat that had been slaughtered two days earlier," Fatimah said.

Salam was quoted as admitting that he slaughtered the sick goat and distributed the meat to three families, totaling 15 people. It was not clear whether the 12 others had fallen ill. --JP