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Hundreds contract Chikungunya in Banyumas

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: The local health agency in Banyumas regency has diagnosed around 200 residents from villages in three districts as being infected by the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV)

(The Jakarta Post)

Thu, March 19, 2009 Published on Mar. 19, 2009 Published on 2009-03-19T15:01:26+07:00

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URWOKERTO, Central Java: The local health agency in Banyumas regency has diagnosed around 200 residents from villages in three districts as being infected by the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).

Around 100 of them were from Sumpiuh district and the rest from Somagede and Kemranjen districts, all bordering each other.

Banyumas Health Agency head Gempol Suwandono told reporters Wednesday the three districts were vulnerable to the disease.

"We received reports from each community health center in the three districts. I didn't believe them at first, but after I checked directly in the field and from tests, they turned out to be true," he said.

He added the three districts were labeled as vulnerable areas a few years ago.

"Three years ago, we determined they were safe, but now the disease has recurred," Gempol said, adding many swampy areas and stagnant pools were found in the districts, thus providing good breeding grounds for mosquitoes.