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Local health agencies told to anticipate spread of Zika
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Ferry passengers from Singapore walk pass a poster aimed to raise awareness on the Zika virus at Batam Center International Port in Batam, Riau Islands, on Sept. 1. Indonesia has tightened monitoring of people arriving in the Riau Islands from Singapore following a Zika virus outbreak in the city-state. (Antara/M.N. Kanwa)
T
he government must launch a nationwide campaign against the spread of the Zika virus by ordering local health agencies to be alert for Zika cases in their respective regions, the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) says.
“Local agencies should inform people about anything related to Zika, including the symptoms. If there is someone experiencing the symptoms, they should be encouraged to go to a hospital,” Daeng Muhammad Faqih, IDI deputy chairman told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
According to the WHO, people affected with the Zika virus, which spreads mostly through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, will experience a fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache. The symptoms are usually mild and last for two to seven days.
Preventive measures such as regular draining of water tanks, covering tubs and burying or disposing used can or bottles are not enough, Faqih said. He argued that Aedes aegypti could be found in most areas in the country and their bites were undetectable.
To limit the spread of Zika, the government has installed thermal scanners to measure the temperatures of passengers arriving at airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam. Besides airports, several ports in Batam, Bintan and Karimun, all in Riau Islands have also installed such scanners. (wnd/bbn)
