The Jakarta Post, December 15, 2005
16 people die of measles in West Seram
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Sixteen West Seram residents have died of measles in the past three weeks, a senior
government official said on Wednesday. The huge fatalities were due to low
awareness among people about the communicable disease, said Hugmon Sesa, the
head of the Seram Health, Manpower and People's Welfare Office.
"People don't believe in modern science. They still resort to traditional methods of
combating the disease and it leads to huge fatalities," said Hugmon.
The official said the residents had actually been briefed on the symptoms of measles.
They had also been told to bring people with measles immediately to the hospital for
treatment, but the calls had fallen on deaf ears.
They have tried to cure the sick by giving them water blessed with incantations or
mantras to drink, said Hugmon.
Hugmon said his office had deployed a team of health officials to help curb the impact
of the measles outbreak in Tahalupu subdistrict, a remote village in West Seram
regency, Maluku.
Measles, also called rubeola, is usually associated with a skin rash. It is, however,
primarily a respiratory infection. The first symptoms are irritability, a runny nose,
bloodshot eyes, sensitivity to light, hacking c! ough, and a fever as high as 40.6
degrees Celsius.
Fever peaks with the appearance of the rash, usually three days after the other
symptoms, which typically begins on the forehead, then spreads downward over the
face, neck, and body. It usually takes about three days for the rash to make its way
down to the feet. Once the rash appears on the legs and feet, symptoms usually
subside within two days.
Complications of measles can include: ear infections, convulsions due to the fever
(febrile convulsions), pneumonia, conjunctivitis and occasionally more serious eye
problems. The heart and nervous system may also be affected. Measles can be fatal
or lead to continuing disability, so prevention is the best option, as no cure yet exists,
according to Medinfo.co.uk.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
