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Jakarta Post

Regions warned to be alert to dengue fever outbreaks

People across the archipelago are being warned to stay alert to the threat of dengue fever outbreaks during the peak of the rainy season and the transition to the dry season

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Thu, February 5, 2015

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Regions warned to be alert to dengue fever outbreaks

P

eople across the archipelago are being warned to stay alert to the threat of dengue fever outbreaks during the peak of the rainy season and the transition to the dry season.

Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek reminded health offices across the archipelago to be aware of the spread of dengue fever by providing supervision and information to the public as part of prevention efforts.

'€œWe have warned all health office heads of the change in season,'€ Nila said in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

She added that public awareness was crucial, especially to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease through the mosquito nest eradication drive.

'€œLet'€™s eradicate mosquito breeding grounds by draining and cleaning stagnant water, especially rain water, because the mosquitoes thrive in such conditions,'€ she said, adding that although every region was ready to provide health services on the issue, the most important thing was overcoming the situation and preventing a higher number of people from being infected by the disease.

Nila reiterated the change in season would boost the spread of infectious diseases, especially dengue fever.

Based on Health Ministry data, 95 percent of regencies and cities across Indonesia are endemic areas for dengue fever, so preventive measures are required to prevent a higher number of patients.

The eradication of mosquito breeding grounds is deemed the most effective method to curb the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, by draining water retention containers, covering water containers and recycling used items that have the potential to become mosquito nests.

One of the worst hit regions is East Java, which has declared extraordinary situation (KLB) status for 23 regencies and cities due to the rise in the number of dengue fever patients over the past month.

At least 3,134 cases have been detected in the province, 52 of which resulted in death.

Fumigation has intensified in a number of regions in East Java along with the rising number of dengue fever cases.

The Kediri Health Office in East Java has conducted fumigation to prevent the spread of mosquitoes.

The office'€™s Disease Control and Eradication division head Hendik Supriyanto said on Wednesday that his division had conducted fumigation in a number of places.

'€œAfter receiving reports on dengue fever cases, we followed them up by conducting an epidemiologic study and fumigation to eradicate the mosquitoes,'€ said Hendik.

Manado Deputy Mayor Harley Mangindaan has also instructed the health office to coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out fumigation in areas prone to dengue fever.

'€œI have asked the Manado Health Office to detect areas with dengue fever cases and immediately conduct fumigation,'€ said Harley in Manado, North Sulawesi.

As of Feb. 3, 81 cases had been detected in his area, three of which resulted in death.

There has been an increase in the number of provinces and regencies and cities considered endemic to the disease, from two provinces and two cities when it was first reported in 1968, to 32 provinces and 382 regencies and cities in 2009.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast heavy rain across the country in the next two days, including in the areas of Lampung, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Kalimantan, West and Central Sulawesi and Papua.

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