Nearly 200 killed by Indonesian dengue outbreak

More than half of Indonesia’s provinces have been affected by the dengue fever outbreak that has killed nearly 200 people, Department of Health data received on Saturday showed. As of Friday afternoon the mosquito-borne virus had killed 195 people and infected 10,140 in 18 provinces since January 1, the figures showed. Indonesia has 32 provinces. The department calls it an “extraordinary” outbreak because the number of infections is more than double those in the same period last year. Most of the cases are on the island of Java, where more than half of Indonesia’s 212 million people live. The female mosquitoes, which spread dengue, breed in clean water that collects in containers. Health officials say efforts to counter the illness depend on the ability of people to keep their environment clean. Cases of dengue have been increasing annually across South-East Asia, the World Health Organisation has said. Dengue also peaks in cycles of about five years and the current infections come at the peak of that cycle, it said. –AFP

More than half of Indonesia’s provinces have been affected by the dengue fever outbreak that has killed nearly 200 people, Department of Health data received on Saturday showed. As of Friday afternoon the mosquito-borne virus had killed 195 people and infected 10,140 in 18 provinces since January 1, the figures showed. Indonesia has 32 provinces. The department calls it an “extraordinary” outbreak because the number of infections is more than double those in the same period last year. Most of the cases are on the island of Java, where more than half of Indonesia’s 212 million people live. The female mosquitoes, which spread dengue, breed in clean water that collects in containers. Health officials say efforts to counter the illness depend on the ability of people to keep their environment clean. Cases of dengue have been increasing annually across South-East Asia, the World Health Organisation has said. Dengue also peaks in cycles of about five years and the current infections come at the peak of that cycle, it said. (Source: AFP, ABC Health News, Feb 2004)