Dengue fever kills three in Yogya

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