Three men flee with HIV

Three men flee with HIV

SEMARANG, Central Java: Health officials have lost track of
three of five people known to be carrying the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Head of the Central Java office of the Ministry of Health,
Djaka Handaja, said yesterday the men may have moved to other
provinces and could be spreading the deadly virus there.

"I have alerted health offices in Jakarta, West Java and East
Java for the sake of coordination and monitoring," Djaka was
quoted by Antara as saying.

He speculated that the three men may have left their home
towns because the mass media published their names.

According to official statistics, 283 people have tested
positive for HIV in Indonesia.

Jakarta ranks first, with 94 carriers, followed by Irian Jaya,
with 67, Bali, with 32, East Java, with 26, and Riau, with 24.
(imn)