Minister urges public not to panic over virus

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Health and Social Welfare Achmad Sujudi urged calm on Friday over reports of the possible spread of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), saying the disease had not reached epidemic proportions in the country.

"We have not yet categorized the spread of the disease as dangerous because it is still under control and we should not cause the general public to panic because of the disease," he told The Jakarta Post in his office.

The minister added: "This is not a deadly virus, although it does not have a cure. The children will be fine if they receive proper treatment and are isolated from other children to prevent the spread (of the disease)."

Interviewed separately, Sri Astuti Suparmanto, the director general of the ministry's National Institute for Health Research and Development, said her office was studying the possibility that the enterovirus which causes the illness was spread by travelers from Singapore and Malaysia.

"In recent cases in Indonesia, it is possible that the spread of the virus was caused by travelers. Those who have vacationed in Singapore or Malaysia may have been exposed to the virus ... but we are still probing this," she said.

Outbreaks of the disease, which is categorized as lethal in some countries, hit the neighboring countries of Singapore and Malaysia in the past few months.

In Singapore, at least 1,150 children under the age of five suffered from the HFMD, with four of the children dying. Three children perished from the disease in Kuala Lumpur.

Jakarta's health agency said on Thursday it had recorded some 30 cases of children coming down with the contagious illness in the past two weeks, alarming parents in the capital.

The disease, known locally by the acronym MKT (mulut-kaki- tangan), so far has been found mainly in the city's more upscale enclaves, such as Pondok Indah in South Jakarta. A preschool catering mostly to foreigners was closed for two days last week after two of the children were found to have the disease.

"The virus can be lethal if there are complications. But this is a rare occurrence," Sri Astuti said.

According to Minister Sujudi, his office is still gathering data about the disease and closely monitoring its developments, particularly in the capital and Batam, where the disease was first reported. Batam is located very near to Singapore.

The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of influenza, being marked by fever, a sore throat and runny nose. He added that the initial symptoms of the disease normally were followed by mouth ulcers, rashes on the hands, feet or buttocks, vomiting and diarrhea.

Sujudi said the disease was more commonly spread by human contact, not through food.

"Maybe the adults travel and come home with the disease. Since children are weaker than adults, they are the ones who get the disease. But I underline that the country does not at this point need to impose quarantines or other extreme preventive actions," he said.

Sri Astuti urged people in the capital to increase their resistance by maintaining healthy lifestyles.

"People must not panic since the illness can be avoided. As long as our bodies are healthy, we will not catch it," she said.

The enterovirus can be spread through several mediums, including mucus or saliva and food or drink contaminated by the virus, she said.

"Flies and cockroaches can become carriers of the virus, therefore a healthy environment is a must. Parents must keep their children away from unsterile food and prevent such habits as biting their nails," she said.

Children under the age of 10 are more susceptible to the disease, but children still have strong resistance, she said.

"Simple precautionary measures such as washing your hands before eating, having cooked food instead of raw food and healthy habits will effectively help fight the disease.

"If the virus invades the brain, it can lead to meningitis or myocarditis. In the chest it can cause pleurodynia. Only if the virus enters the brain or the chest can it be fatal.

"But I think these cases are not happening here. So let us hope that everything will be OK and people take the necessary preventive actions," she said.

Separately, City Animal Husbandry Agency chief Chaidir Taufik Ika said the virus that attacks children is different from the one usually found in cattle.

"HFMD is not similar because what the children have is from the enterovirus, which cannot be found in cows. So I think meat does not spread the disease," he said.

According to Chaidir, Indonesia is the only country in Asia free from the foot-and-mouth disease found in cattle, and the central government has for some time restricted beef imports from Asia.

"We only import beef from Ireland, with plans maybe to import from Australia and New Zealand, so people should not be worried about consuming beef," he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Sutiyoso is not alarmed by the disease. He simply said: "The City Health Agency has not yet reported anything to me." (dja/edt)