Poor sanitation triggers diarrhea outbreak

Poor sanitation triggers diarrhea outbreak

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Only about five kilometers west of Indonesia's international
gateway, at least 329 people, mostly children, are struggling
against a deadly but preventable disease: diarrhea.

Since the epidemic hit the Sepatan and Pakuhaji districts in
Tangerang regency on June 8 -- the area where the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport is located -- at least 16 children and one
adult have died from the disease.

The head of communicable diseases prevention at Tangerang
Health Agency, Yuliah Iskandar, revealed laboratory results that
showed that Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae bacteria -- the
latter being the cause of cholera -- were found to be the cause
of the diarrhea.

The germs, she said, are commonly found in unhygienic
environments and can contaminate food and water.

Diarrhea could be cured in few days, but a prolonged case
would lead to dehydration and this could be fatal, she added.

Health agency head Bachtiar Oesman corroborated Yuliah's
analysis, saying that patients interviewed told his officials
that they got the disease after consuming snacks and orson syrup
mixed with ice that are commonly sold on the streets.

"The street snacks and syrup are just the media ... the main
cause of the outbreak is the unhygienic water that locals use for
cooking and drinking," he said on Friday.

Bachtiar added that his agency had asked heads of the two
district administrations to halt production of street snacks and
syrup as they were causing the disease to spread.

Currently, the Sepatan public health center is treating 33 of
the total 182 diarrhea patients in the district, while the
remainder were given outpatient care.

At the Pakuhaji public health center, 13 of 99 patients were
still being treated, while 16 others were being treated at the
Kedaung Barat subdistrict public health center in Sepatan.

The remaining 32 patients from the two subdistricts, who were
considered to need more intensive treatment, were transferred to
the Tangerang General Hospital.

Hospital director Bambang Wisnubroto said that all of the
patients would not be charged anything for their treatment.

The doctors added that all of the patients were getting
better.

Sepatan public health center chief, Ida Masyuti Aruan, said
that the frequency of residents checking themselves and their
children at the health center had increased over the past two
days.

"It means that resident's awareness to have their children
examined at public health clinics has improved. They seem to have
taken the initiative," she added.