GARUT, KOMPAS.TV – Garut District Health Office (Dinkes) Secretary Leli Yuliani said the first case of diphtheria appeared in the last four weeks.
His party noted that there were four observation cases of diphtheria, four suspected cases, two positive confirmed cases, and 55 people who were reported to be in close contact with positive patients.
He said, reports from the laboratory there were two people aged seven years and a teenager 19 who were positive, meaning that a total of five people were infected with diphtheria.
“We received a report from the West Java Provincial Health Lab that there were an additional three people who were confirmed positive, so the total to date is five people,” he said as quoted from BetweenWednesday (22/2/2023).
He said that many diphtheria outbreaks were reported attacking residents in Sukahurip Village, Pangatikan District, where the majority of sufferers were children.
In addition, there were also seven people who died without explanation of their medical history, so the cause of death was not certain because of diphtheria or other illnesses.
“We can’t confirm whether the cause of death is diphtheria, because we haven’t had time to check it through laboratory tests,” he said.
He conveyed that the Garut Health Office is currently still waiting for the results of laboratory test reports on 72 people to detect the disease outbreak that is currently ravaging Garut.
Also Read: Busy Handling Covid-19, Diphtheria Immunization Has Not Reached Target, Banjarmasin Health Office is Worried
“Those whose samples were taken were close contacts with diphtheria sufferers, and are still waiting for the results of their examinations,” he said.
The Garut Regency Government has issued a Decree of the Garut Regent concerning Stipulation of Diphtheria Extraordinary Events (KLB) for 10 months or until November 2023.
The Garut Regency Government will also carry out mass vaccination against diphtheria cases for children, one of which is by visiting schools.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Communications and Public Services Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the status of the diphtheria virus outbreak was determined as a notification that the situation was an emergency.
“Handling diphtheria so that the outbreak does not spread, determines the status of the diphtheria outbreak as a notification that the situation is an emergency,” said Nadia.
Apart from that, he said that the area was subject to restrictions on activities outside the home for those who were sick and the public was encouraged to continue to implement health protocols, especially at the location of Extraordinary Events (KLB) by keeping their distance and using masks.
Also Read: 7 Died Because of Diphtheria in Garut, Ministry of Health Raise Voices about Determining Outbreak Status
Writer : Kiki Luqman
Editor : Desy-Afrianti
Source : Compass TV
