Minister urges public not to panic over virus

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)