Malaria outbreak kills 12 in Riau

Malaria outbreak kills 12 in Riau

The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

A malaria outbreak has hit Mandah district in the Riau regency of
Indragiri Hilir over the past two weeks, claiming at least 12
lives.

A Mandah resident, Afriati, told Antara on Saturday that
people in the subdistrict were living in fear as the disease,
which is transmitted by certain mosquitoes, had spread quickly.

She said her father was now in the hospital with the illness,
which has also affected many of her neighbors.

"We are afraid of the disease as it has killed some of my
neighbors," Afriati, a mother of three children, said.

Local health officials said the malaria outbreak initially
affected Telaga Besar subdistrict, before it spread to
neighboring subdistricts of Batang Sari and Pancur.

The three subdistricts are isolated due to poor transportation
infrastructure, hampering medical aid deliveries from the local
health office.

Head of the health agency, Masykur Abdullah, said 47 people
were now being treated at a community health center in Belaras
subdistrict.

He said his staff was informed about the outbreak by residents
of the areas affected. The people had suspected that the outbreak
was caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"The people reported a SARS case in their village and nobody
came to help the person for fear of being infected with the
deadly disease," Masykur said.

A health official finally came to the village, using a face
mask. It was the official who found that malaria had hit the
area," he said.

The health agency has conveyed 300 blankets and food
supplements to residents in the three subdistricts to prevent the
malaria outbreak from affecting more people.

Malaria has been rampant in many parts of the country.
Villages in Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow and Sangihe Talaud
regencies recorded over 450,000 malaria cases last year, while in
Menoreh highlands, the Central Java area prone to malaria the
most, the disease affected almost 15,000 people last year.

Malaria can be fatal if treatment comes too late.