T

he Jakarta Health Agency found eight people with symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) after checking 125 residents of South Cipinang Besar, East Jakarta, on Wednesday, who had lived with or close to pet monkeys.

A laboratory test would be organized at the nearest community health center to see whether they had TB infection, agency head Dien Emmawati said.

'€œWe set up a health check post here because some of the monkeys that have been caught in this area by the city administration are suffering from TB, hepatitis and worm disease,'€ she said.

The area, which is home to over 1,000 families, is under surveillance because it was sheltering monkeys used in masked monkey street shows locally known as topeng monyet.

The health check was part of the '€œJakarta Free of Masked Monkey in 2014'€ campaign, which included educating the public on the legal ramifications of animal abuse as well as its health risks because monkeys are known carriers of communicable diseases, such as TB.

Recently launched by Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) has bought 67 pet monkeys from their owners and trainers and put them in quarantine at the Animal and Fish Health Center in Ragunan, South Jakarta, before placing them in a special enclosure in Ragunan Zoo.

Dien also said that her agency had been operating the health post at South Cipinang Besar 01 Pagi elementary school, which is located near the densely populated area, for one week.

'€œWe will check all the people inside the area including the owners and those who live in close proximity to the monkeys,'€ she said.

The residents of community unit (RW) 6 welcomed the free checkup saying that initially they did not know monkeys could transfer diseases to humans.

'€œIt'€™s understandable if the owners contracted illnesses from the monkeys, but it'€™s not fair if other residents got it too,'€ said RW 6 chief Ayya.

According to Ayya, there were no monkeys in his area until eight months ago, when masked monkey troupes rented houses in the area because their old neighborhood in Gembrong, East Jakarta, which was known as kampung monyet (monkey village) had turned into an apartment complex.

'€œThe residents became angry because the monkeys stink, so we asked them to keep their monkeys near the river,'€ he said.

Unlike the residents, the monkey owners were reluctant to undergo health checks even though they were in contact with the sick animals.

'€œMy grandfather and my father have been masked monkeys players for many years, they are healthy until now, so I don'€™t think I need that checkup,'€ said Sarinah, whose six monkeys have been captured. (nai)