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ollowing an '€œextraordinary situation'€ in Tangerang regency, where 13 people died of dengue fever in January alone, Greater Jakarta is on high alert for the disease.

Jakarta and South Tangerang have reported an increase in dengue cases, 38 percent and 11.34 percent, respectively.

Ni Wayan Manik Kusmayoni, disease control and environmental health (P2PL) division head of the Tangerang Health Agency, said that by the end of January, the regency had seen 270 residents infected with dengue fever, 13 of whom died from the disease.

'€œCompared to a similar report in the same month last year, the number of cases has jumped by twofold by January. We have set an extraordinary situation status for dengue fever,'€ Manik told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Manik said the situation had been predicted as records showed that the regency had been seeing a significant increase in dengue fever cases every three years.

She said the last significant jump of dengue fever cases was recorded in 2013. Manik, however, did not recall the total case number in that period. Aware of the three-year cycle, she said, the agency had taken preventive measures to reduce infection cases. She could not explain the reason behind the cycle.

She said the agency had distributed circulars to community health centers (Puskesmas) and neighborhood administrations in the region so they could prepare for the rainy season, during which dengue fever cases mostly occurred.

Manik said that the agency had been disseminating information to other parties, including Muslim preachers.

'€œWe hope these religious leaders explain to others the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment during the rainy season,'€ Manik added.

South Tangerang Health Agency P2PL division head Tulus Muladiyono said that the region had yet to declare an extraordinary status over the outbreak. However, he said the city had seen an increase in infection cases.

Tulus said that by the end of January, the city had seen 108 cases of dengue fever, 11.34 percent higher compared to the same period last year, when 97 residents were infected.

Tulus went on to say that from 108 residents infected this year, two patients died. His agency had also distributed free Abate powder to residents.

Similar to Tangerang regency, Tulus claimed that South Tangerang had a five-year dengue fever cycle, with the last significant increase in dengue patients seen in 2011.

Jakarta Health Agency head Koesmedi Priharto said that Jakarta had yet to set an extraordinary status for dengue fever although it had been on alert due to a high increase in dengue fever cases.

Koesmedi explained that early this year, the agency had seen 611 cases of dengue fever, an increase from 443 cases in 2015.

He said that Jakarta had not experienced a regular cycle for dengue because he believed infections only occurred because of lacksadaical mosquito monitoring measures.

Unlike the three other regions, Tangerang city saw a decrease in dengue infections, said Tangerang Health Agency head Rostiwi. She said that by the end of January, Tangerang city had seen 20 cases, a decrease from the 25 cases recorded in the same month of last year.