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View all search resultsRiau declares emergency as URI outbreak among Talang Mamak kills five
The Talang Mamak is part of the Proto-Malay ethnic group, also known as ancient or aboriginal Malays, and is among the few isolated indigenous tribes on Sumatra that maintain their traditional ways of life. They live deep within the forests of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, which spans Riau and Jambi provinces.
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> Officials from the Indragiri Hulu Health Agency treat members of the Talang Mamak Indigenous community suffering from upper respiratory infections in Datai Hamlet, Rantau Langsat Village, Indragiri Hulu Regency, Riau Province. At least five members of the community have died and hundreds more have fallen ill as the outbreak spreads within the isolated tribe. (courtesy of/Indragiri Hulu Health Agency)
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ndragiri Hulu regency in Riau province has declared a public health emergency after five members of the Talang Mamak indigenous tribe in Datai hamlet of Rantau Langsat village died of upper respiratory infections (URIs), while hundreds of others have contracted the infectious disease.
Sandra, head of the Indragiri Hulu Health Agency, said URIs had been spreading within the Talang Mamak community since last month, and that around 219 cases had been recorded as of Nov. 9.
“Residents reported similar symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. The outbreak was largely caused by poor water quality, [poor] hygiene and inadequate sanitation in the village,” Sandra said on Sunday.
The Talang Mamak is part of the Proto-Malay ethnic group, also known as ancient or aboriginal Malays, and is among the few isolated indigenous tribes on Sumatra that maintain their traditional ways of life. They live deep within the forests of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, which spans Riau and Jambi provinces.
The community is believed to have lived in the lowland forests of Bukit Tigapuluh for hundreds of years, long before the area was designated a national park.
Read also: Medan urges health protocols amid rise in respiratory infections
The Talang Mamak people primarily survive through small-scale farming, rubber tapping and harvesting non-timber forest products such as honey, damar resin and areca nuts.
