Jakarta, May 9 (Antara) - Indonesian health officials have not detected
any MERS virus infection cases in the country but have advised the
elderly and other risky people to delay trips to Saudi Arabia, where the
virus has broken out.
"The samples that we had tested in the laboratories until Thursday (May
8) were negative for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus,
though we are still waiting for the results of other samples," Health
Deputy Minister Ali Ghufron Mukti reported here on Friday.
Several patients in Medan, North Sumatra, and Pekanbaru, Riau, were
suspected to have contracted the MERS virus. They suffered from MERS
infection-like symptoms, such as high fever, cold, cough, and difficulty
in breathing.
They were admitted to the hospital after their return from a minor hajj
pilgrimage (umroh) to Saudi Arabia. One of these, a 54-year-old
patient, KS, died at a general hospital in Medan on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it had identified 32 new cases
of MERS infection, pushing the total number of infections in the country
so far to 463.
Four people died of the disease on Wednesday and five on Thursday,
taking the total death toll in Saudi Arabia to 126 since MERS, a form of
coronavirus, was identified two years ago, Reuters quoted a Saudi
Health Ministry statement on its website on Friday.
The rate of infection in Saudi Arabia has surged in recent weeks after
large outbreaks associated with hospitals in Jidda and Riyadh. The total
number of infections nearly doubled in April and has already risen by a
further 25 percent in May.
The outbreak of the MERS virus infections in Saudi Arabia has raised
concern and suspicions in Indonesia whenever similar symptoms occur in
patients just like the patients in the Sumatran provinces of North
Sumatra and Riau.
However, laboratory tests on a number of samples until Thursday have
shown negative results. "There are suspicions of MERS virus infection
cases in Medan (North Sumatra), but they are still based on clinical
symptoms. They have not yet been proven through a laboratory test. We
are still waiting for the test results of other patients. It is not only
in Medan, we also have cases in Riau, Bali, and other provinces whose
samples have been examined in laboratories. We have tested about 48
cases and the all results were negative, the deputy health minister
noted.
Ali Ghufron Mukti pointed out that the Indonesian government had not
yet taken a decision on banning Indonesian citizens to travel to Saudi
Arabia because it had not found MERS virus infection cases in the
country.
"We have not yet issued a travel restriction. The World Health
Organization has also not yet issued a recommendation to us. After all,
till yesterday we had no positive MERS infection cases," the deputy
minister noted on Friday.
However, Ali Ghufron appealed to would-be minor hajj
pilgrims--particularly those who were prone to infections, such as
senior citizens of over 65 years, expectant mothers, and those who were
suffering from chronic diseases--to delay their trips. Those who had
chronic problems were requested to consult their doctors first.
"If
they are not able to delay their trips to the Holy Land, they are
expected to put face masks during their staying there," asserted
Ghufron. He also suggested that they receive vaccines, though
vaccination cannot guarantee full protection against the MERS virus.
"This is a kind of flu, so they had better have the vaccine before they
leave the country for the Holy Land," he remarked.
In the meantime, General Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association
(IDI) Zaenal Abidin asked all health officials across the country to
watch for MERS infection symptoms on patients so that the case could be
handled as early as possible.
"Health officials should understand the virus infection symptoms. It
should not happen that MERS virus infection cases should occur in their
regions before doctors understand the disease," Zaenal told a press
conference on Thursday.
He called on doctors and other health officials to read the MERS-CoV
guide book that was issued by the Ministry of Health in 2013.
"IDI will also issue a simpler guide book so that it could be easily understood," Zaenal explained.
The Central Executive Board of IDI (PB-IDI) has set up a MERS-Cov
research team comprising members from the Assembly of Professional
Service Development (MPPK) and associations of relevant specialist
doctors such as the Indonesian Internists Association (PAPDI), Lung
Specialists Association (PDPI), Indonesian Pediatricians Association
(IDAI), and the Indonesian Gynecologist and Obstetricians Association
(POGI).
The team will draft a fact sheet on MERS-CoV for doctors and provide
the latest information on the disease for the people. It will be
distributed through the regional branches of IDI and can also be
downloaded through the Internet, Zaenal stated.
These efforts are made to prevent the spread of the disease in Indonesia.
According to legislator Rini Rahmadhani, Indonesia should be on the
alert because the MERS virus has a great potential to infect Indonesian
umroh pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
"Indonesia has the greatest potential to be infected with the virus
because this country has a large number of hajj and minor hajj pilgrims
as well as Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia," Rini stated on
Thursday.
She added that even though Indonesia had not yet detected MERS
infection cases, pilgrims and other Indonesian citizens need to remain
alert.
The legislator pointed out that in 2013, a total of 200 thousand
Indonesian pilgrims and 750 thousand minor pilgrims conducted the hajj
rituals in the Holy Land.
This excluded the Indonesian migrant workers whose population exceeded one million.
Therefore, the Health Ministry is taking precautions in the face of the
MERS virus spread from Saudi Arabia. After all, this virus has also
spread to other countries.
"All the countries must take necessary precautions. Indonesia should
have made thorough preparations. We have a good experience in handling
such situations, namely our experience in handling Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome and bird flu cases. Thus, we hope that we can face
and handle the MERS cases," Acting Director General of Disease Control
and Sanitation Agus Purwadianto asserted.
Agus added that hospitals and surveillance officials were requested to
stand-by 24 hours. The Port health offices (KKP) were also requested to
follow the same and to monitor passengers for possible symptoms of MERS
infection, particularly those who have such symptoms as cough, high body
temperature, and difficulty in breathing. ***3***
(T.A014/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 09-05-2014 21:54: |
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