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.