Diarrhea affects thousands

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Around 2,800 residents of Samarinda have been affected by a diarrhea outbreak that hit the East Kalimantan capital over the past month, Antara reported yesterday.

Quoting the head of the provincial health office, Dr. H.M. Nuh, the news agency said some residents were seriously ill and had to be hospitalized. One patient died.

Nuh called on the residents to avoid food that might be contaminated by the bacteria that causes diarrhea.

The news agency said that between early July and Aug. 10, 2,400 people sought treatment for diarrhea at 13 health centers in the region. About 400 had to be treated for severe dehydration.

Officials at one of the hospitals said most of the affected were those who lived along the Mahakam and Karang Mumus rivers and used the water for various purposes.

In 1990, an outbreak of diarrhea hit East Kalimantan and affected 12,000 people in two weeks. (swe)