West Jakarta wary of Chikungunya epidemic

West Jakarta wary of Chikungunya epidemic

Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Concern is growing among West Jakarta health workers as the
number of suspected cases of Chikungunya disease over the last
month nears 50 in Keagungan subdistrict, Taman Sari.

Although many have recovered after treatment and no fatalities
have been reported, workers and residents are still worried as
new cases of the disease are still emerging.

Chikungunya, like dengue fever, is contracted through a
mosquito bite and is characterized by an extremely high fever,
but differs in its symptom of severe joint pain (arthralgia) that
lasts up to a week.

"Besides residents of community units 4 and 5, which have been
the most affected, there have been reports that the disease is
now spreading to community unit 3 as well," Tuti, a community
unit 4 health worker, said on Monday.

Residents are also worried that the disease will affect their
children's future health and well-being.

"My granddaughter Sella's legs became temporarily paralyzed by
the disease. Thank God, she is now well again," said Neneng, a
resident of community unit 5.

Over a two-week period, six of Neneng's family members
contracted the disease, including herself.

Neneng first felt aches in both shoulders, followed by an
extremely high fever and then a rash. As the disease progressed,
she felt paralyzing pain throughout her body.

"I even had to be carried by my neighbors to the clinic for
treatment," she said.

Keagungan subdistrict deputy head Agus Suprapto denied that a
Chikungunya pandemic had broken out in his subdistrict.

He said his office was still working with the local health
clinic to confirm reports from residents and to identify the
disease.

"It might be the disease called Chikungunya, but it might also
be dengue fever," he said.

Head of Taman Sari district health Asep Soliludin said he
would order immediate preventive actions for the time being while
waiting until Tuesday for a full report from Keagungan health
center head Meliana.

Meliana could not immediately be contacted for comment.

"If this is indeed a Chikungunya pandemic, we admit we have
been slow to react. But we have already taken action by
fumigating the area to prevent new cases," Asep said.

Several Taman Sari health workers were fumigating residents'
homes and along trash-clogged sewers for mosquitoes on Monday
afternoon.

Residents suspect that flooding caused by water spillage from
a nearby construction site and the clearing of formerly lush
shrubs and trees there had contributed to the rise in the number
of mosquitoes.

Chikungunya is caused by a self-limiting febrile virus that is
transmitted through the bite of either the Aedes africanus or the
Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can also carry the dengue fever
virus.

The disease was first recognized in epidemic form in East
Africa in 1952 and has continued to cause major epidemics in
Africa, India and Southeast Asia.

Its name comes from the Swahili word chikungunya, which means
"that which contorts or bends up", referring to the contorted
posture of patients afflicted with the disease's predominant
symptom of arthralgia.

In Indonesia, the disease was first reported in 1973 in
Samarinda, East Kalimantan. The latest outbreak of Chikungunya
was in 2002, striking Bekasi in West Java and Purworejo and
Klaten in Central Java.