Mass fumigation planned against dengue fever

Mass fumigation planned against dengue fever

JAKARTA (JP): Dengue fever has claimed the lives of 56 Jakartans so far this year, the city health office says.

Aslan Lasman, the chief of the city health office, said on Wednesday that, as of Oct. 30, more than 4,000 other residents have been hospitalized because of the disease.

South Jakarta has seen the death of 16 people. Central Jakarta has had 13 dengue fever deaths, East Jakarta 12, West Jakarta nine and North Jakarta six.

South Jakarta had the most cases, with 1,222 people hospitalized. West and East Jakarta had 1,122 and 1,100 patients respectively, while Central and North Jakarta had 843 and 803.

A one-month fumigation program, aimed at curbing the spread of the disease, will begin this month, Aslan said. The program will cover 159 subdistricts, he added.

The subdistricts targeted by the office are those which have had at least five cases of dengue fever in one year over the past three years.

The fumigations will be carried out in 44 subdistricts of Central Jakarta, nine subdistricts of North Jakarta, 37 subdistricts of West Jakarta, 39 subdistricts of South Jakarta and 30 subdistricts of East Jakarta.

Aslan said that the fumigations are intended to stop the growth of the Aedes Aegyptie mosquito population, which carries dengue fever.

He urged everyone to participate in the eradication of the disease by removing the mosquitoes' nests from their houses.

City health office personnel will be providing the public with information on steps that can be taken against the mosquitoes, he added. (32)