Four young children die in West Sumba measles outbreak
Four young children die in West Sumba measles outbreak
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang
A measles outbreak has affected hundreds of children in West
Sumba regency in eastern Indonesia over the past two weeks,
claiming the lives of four children. The outbreak prompted the
local administration to name it an extraordinary incidence and
related agencies have been called on to curb the disease.
The disease has attacked mostly five-year-old children since
Aug. 11. At least 116 toddlers in nine villages of Kori, Homba
Karipit, Wailabubur, Mangganipi, Bukembero, Billa Cenge, Waiholo,
Noha and Kelembu Kahadan Hoha Wungo in Kodi district, are still
receiving treatment. Despite the scale of the epidemic, there has
been no clarification from the local health office about the
cause of the acute and highly contagious viral disease.
Head of the West Sumba Health Office, Marthen Caley, said on
Thursday in Waikabubak that his office had dispatched medical
teams to a number of locations.
Data from the office indicates that the four fatalities were
one-year-old Daniel Ndara Magu and two-and-a-half year-old Wara
Deghu from Mangganipi village, and one-year-old Kodi Kabura and
four-year-old Hona from Bukembero.
"More than 100 children are still being treated at the Kori
and Bukembero community health centers, and the Caritas Kori
Hospital. The four children who died might have suffered from
measles, breathing problems and diarrheal complications," said
Marthen.
To prevent the spread of disease, the local administration has
placed the affected areas under quarantine by recording the
number of children who have contracted measles and keeping them
within their homes.
"Another method is by vaccinating babies who have not yet been
vaccinated," said Marthen.
Meanwhile, head of the East Nusa Tenggara Health Office Stef
Bria Seran, acknowledged the measles epidemic in West Sumba.
"The office has immediately dispatched a epidemiology team and
medicine to curb the disease," he said.
The number of children with measles is expected to increase
because the medical team is still combing the affected areas from
house to house. "There will probably be more victims because many
children have not been immunized," said Stef.
Measles is generally marked by cough, high fever, a red
blotchy rash on the face which then spreads over the entire body,
reddened eyes, vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty in breathing.
The disease hit the area in 1992. It attacked hundreds of
toddlers in Alor regency in the middle of 2004, causing 26
deaths.