No cholera in Bali

No cholera in Bali

JAKARTA: Health authorities in Bali have declared that the
holiday island is free from the cholera virus after extensive
research following news reports that a number of Japanese
tourists contracted the disease.

Ministry of Health spokesperson, Suheni Sujatmiko, said the
Health Office in Bali conducted lab tests from samples taken at
various restaurants in Denpasar, which were most frequented by
Japanese tourists.

The lab tests failed to detect the vibrio bacteria that causes
cholera, Suheni told the Antara news agency.

Some of the restaurants included in having samples taken were
the Sita Restaurant, Bali Hai Cruiser and Uma Sari Restaurant.

The local health authorities also failed to locate all the
eating places visited by the Japanese tourists because their
travel was not coordinated by any tour operator.

Earlier television reports from Japan suggested that as many
as 77 Japanese tourists returned from Bali infected by cholera.
Indonesian health and tourist officials have questioned the
accuracy of the report.

Suheni said that if the report was true, this would have
suggested a massive outbreak of cholera in Bali, something which
is not supported by the reality on the island. (emb)