Dengue fever outbreak requires public action
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has recorded a staggering 1,547 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Jakarta, Padang and Surabaya, which has already left 12 people dead this year.
The cases were recorded between Jan. 1 and Feb. 12 this year, Minister Achmad Sujudi said on Tuesday.
The minister further warned people to be alert.
"Public participation is needed to fight the incurable disease," he said on the sidelines of a hearing with Commission VII of the House of Representatives.
Without people's awareness of the need to clean up the environment and eradicate possible mosquito breeding sites, the diseases will prevail, especially in densely-populated areas, Sujudi added.
"These dengue fever cases are unusual as the number is very high. Outbreaks of the disease usually peak during the weather transition period in April instead of the beginning of the year," Director General for Communicable Diseases Umar Fahmi told The Jakarta Post.
"We have alerted all cities in Java as dengue fever outbreaks tend to occur in densely populated areas. We have also detected a change in weather patterns over the past couple of months which have contributed to breeding conditions favored by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes," Umar said.
According to ministry data, in West Sumatra's capital of Padang a total of 143 dengue hemorrhagic fever cases were recorded in the first six weeks of the year and two patients had died, while there were only a total of 185 dengue cases recorded last year.
Jakarta has recorded 1,097 cases this year, with five people killed by the illness, compared to a total of 1,993 cases in 2000 which left 15 people dead.
Meanwhile, in East Java 307 cases have been recorded this year with five patients having died, compared to 296 cases with two deaths last year.
"We have deployed a team to monitor and examine the patients just in case a new strain of dengue's serotipe has emerged," Umar said.
There is still no cure for the illness, which has different strains ranging from Serotipe I to Serotipe IV.
"Thailand, however, has developed a vaccine to cure it ... but it is still being tested," Umar added.
In certain areas, such as in Purwokerto in Central Java, the disease can be eradicated through joint community programs.
"Therefore we are developing a replica of the program used in Purwokerto to be imposed in 10 other cities including Makassar, Manado, Semarang, parts of Jakarta and Surabaya," he said, stressing that people must be aware and responsible for cleaning their environment.
Umar said that the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which carry dengue fever breed well during the weather transition period.
"The level of humidity, heat and adequate amounts of water contribute to a substantial growth in mosquito numbers. And usually they become more aggressive in biting people," he explained.
Areas located one kilometer above sea level, however, are usually free of dengue fever, Umar revealed.
"But many areas are becoming more susceptible as a result of global warming which raises the sea level, he said.
"In certain cases such as in Irian Jaya, the locals living in high regions have caught the illness after moving or undertaking activities in the lower regions," Umar said. (edt)