Probe on diarrhea outbreak

Probe on diarrhea outbreak

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Health yesterday said it is still waiting for a full report from its local office on the major outbreak of diarrhea in Garut, West Java.

The Angkatan Bersenjata daily reported yesterday that seven people died and 215 others were hospitalized following the outbreak.

Asked whether the large number of people affected indicated that it might be cholera, Suheni said that at least 10 days of laboratory testing are required before a cholera outbreak can be declared.

"An increase in diarrhea cases requires immediate checking, especially if the increment occurs in the same area," she said.

Not all diarrhea and vomiting cases indicate cholera, she said, citing other possibilities such as food poisoning and dysentery.

Many areas in Indonesia are prone to cholera-related diseases because clean water is accessible to only 60 percent of the urban population and 40 percent of the rural community.

She said cholera outbreaks are closely related to a lack of sanitation and clean water. Therefore, she added, it is "nonsense to claim that cholera does not exist in Indonesia". (pwn)