Dengue fever on the increase

JAKARTA (JP): Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital has received an average of 73 dengue fever patients a day over the past few days, a hospital official has said.

Soepardi Soedibyo, the state hospital's deputy director for general affairs, said Thursday that 84 people, 38 of them children, were admitted with dengue fever symptoms.

On Wednesday, 69 people -- including 36 children -- were admitted with the same symptoms, he said. And on Tuesday the number of patients seeking dengue fever treatment was 68, 35 of whom were children.

Doctors at the hospital can now determine in a few hours if the symptoms will lead to dengue fever by testing the patients' blood, Soepardi said, as quoted by Antara.

Dengue fever is still prevalent in the capital due to many residents' lack of environmental cleanliness.