New dengue virus strain identified

New dengue virus strain identified

Slamet Susanto and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta/Semarang

A laboratory in Yogyakarta has identified a new strain of the
dengue virus that is far deadly and has a shorter incubation
period than the regular strain of the virus.

It is the third strain of the virus.

"While it previously took four to five days for spots on the
skin to appear, it now takes only one day," said Bantul health
office head Abu Dzarin Noorhadi, referring to the incubation
period.

Two deaths from the new strain were reported in November.

"The two people were admitted to the hospital in the late
stages of illness, which led to their deaths," said Abu Dzarin.
Two other people from Bantul have died due to dengue fever this
year.

Since discovery of the new dengue strain, the health office
has called on residents to clean up places that could be breeding
grounds for the dengue virus carrier, the aedes aegypti mosquito.

Separately, Yogyakarta provincial health office head Bondan
Agus Suryanto said that up until November, some 550 people in the
province had contracted dengue and six had died. Four were in
Bantul regency and the other two were in Gunungkidul.

In Semarang, Central Java, Ike Aprila, 4, died on Friday after
being treated for one day in Elisabeth Hospital. With Ike's
death, dengue fatalities in the province this year rose to 21.