There's no need to panic over anthrax: Experts

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A package bearing no return address sent from an African country to an expatriate here was rushed for examination earlier this month to the Bogor-based Veterinary Research Center (Balitvet) following fears that it may have contained spores of the anthrax bacterium.

The result: the package contained a letter, but no suspicious materials.

Experts on communicable diseases from both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture have provided assurances that the government has not only mastered ways of dealing with the endemic anthrax, but also has a strategy for anticipating the population's fear of contracting the bacterium or other biological hazards through the mail.

"Just don't get into a panic," said I Nyoman Kandun, an expert staffer on epidemiology and environmental sanitation at the Ministry of Health, adding: "Anthrax is curable when it is diagnosed and treated immediately. Moreover, anthrax infection is not contagious among humans."

Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend, the experts explained that the bacterium that causes anthrax infection, Bacillus anthracis, can only attack human beings effectively when its spores are pressurized into very minute particles and packaged in an aerosol form. As soon as the sprayed particles are inhaled, they cause an infection in the lungs.

There are various symptoms, but generally those who are infected with anthrax through inhalation -- the most serious form of the disease -- suffer from severe tiredness and breathing difficulties. The patients may suffer from shock or lose consciousness. Without proper treatment, the patient may die within 24 hours of exposure.

"Simple medication through an injection of penicillin or its derivatives can cure an anthrax infection. All paramedics in hospitals and public health centers (Puskesmas) have been well- trained to handle diseases, including those caused by anthrax, while the medicines are easy to get," Kandun said.

"We don't want this anthrax bacterium to cause a frightening epidemic in our country," he added.

Many parts of the world are now in fear of anthrax-laced mail attacks, a biological terror that has claimed at least three Americans this month and infected 11 others, following last month's terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Reports said that some of the items of mail had been sent from Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia.

Bacillus anthracis is at the head of the list of bacteria used as biological weapons because, in comparison to other bacteria, the anthrax bug has longer stability in the environment, a shorter incubation period, is easy to produce and is not a common disease but can be easily treated.

Suprodjo Hardjo Utomo, Balitvet's chief researcher, pointed out that the knowledge and the technology needed to proliferate the spores was complex and was not widely available, removing the possibility of widespread anthrax-breeding to generate spores in large amounts, especially in Indonesia.

He explained that, although the spores of the bacterium were dormant, which meant they could live for up to 60 years and could survive on an animal's carcass, bone, fur, wool, skin, dried blood, and in the soil and grass, they could be destroyed by exposure to high temperatures for several hours.

Emir A. Siregar, chairman of the veterinarian commission at the Ministry of Agriculture's directorate-general of husbandry, pointed out that many Indonesian provinces were anthrax endemic areas. They included, among others, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Jambi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya.

"The bacterium has been on the earth for hundreds of years, since the advent of animal domestication. It cannot be eradicated but certainly can be controlled through vaccination in order to decrease its incidence among livestock such as goats, cows, sheep and even ostriches," he said.

However, Siregar added, instances of anthrax outbreaks affecting human beings had only been reported in four provinces, namely West Java, Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

Guidelines for handling suspect mail packages:

* Do not shake or empty envelopes deemed to be suspicious.

* Place them in a plastic bag or wrap them inside clothes, papers or other containers to prevent leakage.

* Isolate the area where the suspect item was received and prevent people from entering.

* Wash your hands to prevent any hazardous materials from coming into contact with your face.

* If the suspect item is received in an office, report it to the police or security guards.

* Make a list of people present in the room when the item was received. Give the list to health centers or the police for further examination.