Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

[AlaskaDenise]

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detail...8111759&irec=0


JAKARTA (AP): Indonesian health officials are investigating the deaths of 22 people from an unidentified illness characterized by high fever over a two-month period in the capital Jakarta.

Samples from the patients - all of whom died days after being admitted to St. Carolus hospital - have been sent to the U.S.Naval Medical Research Unit 2 in Jakarta, but the cause of death remained a mystery, said Nyoman Kandun, a senior health ministry official.

"We have not been able to conclude if this is or is not a new emerging disease," Nyoman told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "But after experiencing both bird flu and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) we do not want to take any chances."

Samples were also sent to the U.S.-based Centers for DiseaseControl, another health official said on condition he not be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Tests there were also inconclusive.

Nyoman said the patients may have been poisoned, but for the time being the cause of death was listed as from a "high fever of unknown origin."

Most of the victims were over 40 and from middle-class residential areas near St. Carolus in central Jakarta. The hospital started reporting the deaths in October and the last death was reported on Nov. 27, he said.

Surveillance teams have visited the homes of the patients but found no additional cases and investigators also concluded that they did not get their infections from fellow patients at the hospital, Kandun said.

There are two other hospitals in the neighborhood, but they have not reported similar mysterious deaths, he said. (**)

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

machine translated:

The cause of the Mysterious Death 22 patients RS Carolus were not yet known

Jakarta,
The department of the Health up to now does not yet know the mysterious illness that for the last two months caused the death 22 patients in the Hospital St. Carolus, Jakarta.

"We have carried out routine investigation towards the possibility of various potential infectious diseases the plague." All of them the negative.

It did not yet have the other conclusion, said Director General Pengendalian of the Illness and Sanitation of the I Nyoman Kandun Health of the Department's Environment to Antara, in Jakarta, on Friday.

He proposed that was related the report on a national newspaper of The The Jakarta Post concerning the mysterious illness incident that caused the death 22 casualties that all of them were more than 40 years old and live in close to the hospital.

The possibility of the occurrence of the infection nosokomial (the infection that was received or emerged when the patient was treated in the house be sick-red) then, said he, has been investigated but results of the negative.

He explained also that the laboratory inspection of the sample of the mysterious illness patient who in part was marked by the sign of the high fever still could not be used to know the cause of the death of these patients.

It was further that Kandun explained that in fact the case of the illness with the hot sign high that kind in fact also often was found in the other hospital.

"But why we were attracted by the case this time?", because of the increase in the real case for the last two month happening.

We worried this the potential illness the plague, was like this Kandun.
(Ant)

http://www.analisadaily.com/

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

Health officials tightlipped over spate of deaths at city hospital

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

December 31, 2006

The Ministry of Health is continuing its investigation into the spate of deaths of 22 patients at Central Jakarta's St. Carolus Hospital, while health officials remain tightlipped over a possible disease outbreak.

"We are keeping samples for further tests of communicable diseases that never occur in the country. Those tests required specific regimes that we do not have at the moment," ministry laboratory researcher Syahrial Harun said Friday.

The ministry started investigating the cases in October when the St. Carolus Hospital reported a significant increase of deaths from its monthly average of 60. The latest death was reported on Nov. 27.

Hospital officials would not comment on the development, saying they had handed over the investigation to ministry officials.

The ministry has previously declared the deaths were a statistical anomaly after an earlier investigation showed no indications of a disease outbreak.

Previous tests had eliminated known communicable diseases such as severe acute respiratory disease and avian influenza but had been unable to determine the cause of the patients' deaths.

Health ministry director general for disease control and environmental health I Nyoman Kandun earlier said another investigation would only proceed if a series of new deaths were reported.

Samples from the mostly over 40-year-old male patients showed a possibility of bacterial infection.

Most of the patients lived in areas nearby the hospital. Some were reported to have suffered from a respiratory illness.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20061230.A07&irec=6

[Theresa42]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

toggletext-ed from Indonesian:

Carolus did not yet know the Cause of the Death 20 patients
Senin, 08 Januari 2007 | 13:40 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta: The management of the Saint Carolus Hospital did not yet know the cause of the death 20 Jakarta residents who contracted the high fever in November last year. "We did not yet know results of the Department of Health," said Endang Suryatno this hospital Spokesperson to the Time today.

According to Endang, the sign of the public of all the patients was feverish that was very high was accompanied by coughs. The patient generally only could be treated one to two day. The team of the doctor did not yet examine the patient comprehensively.

"This phenomenon rarely happened in this hospital," said Endang. Therefore, this case was at once reported to the Department of the Health. But Endang admitted to not yet getting results of the evaluation that was carried out by the Department of the health.

The hospital side, said Endang, suspected all the patients of contracting the sign that resembled bird flu (Avian influenza). If true then was worried by this virus will develop more far. "When being treated, they were united with the other patient, in the normal room," said Endang.

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/jakarta/2007/01/08/brk,20070108-90805,id.html

[4-ABBA]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

Can't help but wondering: It seems that the W.H.O. would have / should have been involved in this investigation?

[MHSC]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

Mystery infection that killed 20 in Indonesia still unidentified

12/01/2007 14:22 JAKARTA, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - A mysterious infectious disease that killed over 20 people in Indonesia in the last few months of 2006 remains unidentified, a health official said Wednesday.
A dramatic rise in the number of deaths at St. Carolus Hospital in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in October and November was caused by an unknown disease characterized by a high fever, which usually led to the patient's death within three days of its onset.
"In some instances - not always - respiratory organs were affected," I Nyoman Kandun, head of the health ministry's communicable diseases control center, said in an interview.
The latest case was registered November 27, but until now the outbreak has not raised concerns about the emergence of a new, potentially lethal infection similar to last year's avian flu epidemic, which killed more people in Indonesia than in any other country of the Asian-Pacific region.
Kandun said health experts checked the hospital and patients' homes, and ruled out all possible widespread viruses, such as AIDS, avian and human flu, SARS, dengue fever, Ebola fever and others.
Blood samples taken from those affected have been sent for tests to the U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
The official said that although the outbreak had been contained and had not turned into an epidemic, there was no guarantee that it would not recur.
He said ministry officials were keeping the St. Carolus clinic under close scrutiny and were trying to identify the pathogen involved. Other hospitals in Jakarta have enhanced preventive measures.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070112/58962628.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

The High Fever incident with the High Death Rate in RS Sint Carolus Jakarta the Centre

12 Jan 2007

followed the death 22 patients that in treated in RS Sint Carolus Jakarta the Centre at the end of October to the end of November 2006, was based on results of the Department's investigation of the Health of concluding 4 matters, that is:
The increase in the death in the period late October to the end of November 2006, happened to the sign of the high fever was accompanied by the high death rate in RS Sint Carolus that was not yet known by the cause and his source.

There was no spread between humankind so as this illness did not have the potential to cause the plague; All hospitals in Jakarta increased vigilance to anticipate the re-emergence this illness; efforts to express the cause and the source of this illness will be continued by involving the national and international experts in, considering investigation towards this incident needing precision and a long time.

The centre of the Public's Department of Health Communication gaze at necessary menyebarluasan information concerning this case in order to prevents confusion in the reporting of the mass media that in turn could cause the panic in the community.

The chronology of this case was begun at the end of November 2006 or to be precise on November 27 during RS Sint Carolus Jakarta the Centre reported to Directorate General Pengendalian of the Illness and environmental Sanitation (PP & PL Director General), the Department of Health the existence 22 deaths that had happened since the end of October to the end of November 2006.

The medical note showed, all the sufferer experienced the sign of the high fever (39°C-42°C), the decline in the public's situation, the decline in the level of the awareness, that ended with the comma.

Results of the laboratory showed the existence of the decline the level of Natrium blood and the increase of the number of light white blood cells

Was based on this report, on November 30 - on December 5 2006, PP & PL Director General, Badan Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Kesehatan (Balitbangkes) the Department of Health, the Health Service of the Special Capital District of Jakarta province co-operated with NAMRU-2 (the Medical Research Unit the United States Navy) in Jakarta and WHO Indonesia carried out investigation, covered document investigation recorded the medic, the taking of the specimen from the sufferer and the hospital environment.

Investigation was also carried out in the environment of the sufferer's residence.
From investigation recorded the medic, in accordance with the definition of the case, it was identified 20 sufferers, completely died.

The death happened between 1-3 days (the median 1 day) after the sufferer was treated.
The data showed 90% (18 sufferers) aged 45 years above (the range 2-76 years), 90% the sufferer of various male gender, 7 sufferers settled in the Jakarta territory the Centre, 8 sufferers bermukin in the Jakarta territory East, 2 people settled in the Southern Jakarta territory, 2 people settled in the Bekasi territory, 1 person settled in the Bogor territory.
Responded to this incident, the Special Capital District of Jakarta Health Service did surveilans active and held the meeting all over RS in Jakarta.
Results, generally were not found by the increase trend in the death and the death that were caused with the sign like the sufferer in RS Sint Carolus.

Now the report on all the RS Special Capital District OF Jakarta Director also said did not have the incident like in RS Sint Carolus.
Through the meeting between the Special Capital District of Jakarta Section Head and all Director RS in the Special Capital District of Jakarta on December 8 2006, was informed by the incident in RS Sint Carolus and asked for the directors to report when treating the sufferer with the similar sign, and explaining steps that must be carried out if being gotten by the similar incident.

The Investigation stage

The inspection of the virus, the bacteria, and the fungus was carried out against the specimen wiped off the throat and the specimen of the sufferer's blood that succeeded in being taken.
For the virus was done by the A influenza inspection and B including H5N1, Para- influenza, SARS, Dengue Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Nipah the Virus, West Nile the Virus, Coxsackie, Simplex Herpes, and Adenovirus.

For the bacteria was done by the inspection of Legionellosis, Streptococcus pneumonia, Hemofilus influenza, Klamidia, Neiseria Meningitidis and Leptospira.

For the fungus, the inspection was carried out of Micoplasma.
Some of the specimen this was sent to the laboratory of CDC Atlanta.
Apart from the specimen wiped off the throat and the specimen of the sufferer's blood, was taken also the specimen from the infusion liquid that was used in RS Sint Carolus and water from cooling tower AC. the Whole of the negative of the results test.

The test was also carried out for pesticide, amphetamine and opium.
Results of the negative.
While results of investigation in the field were not found by the spread between humankind.

This was reinforced with the nonexistence of the official of the health that treated the sufferer tertular this illness.
The assumption of early at the time of the report was accepted was the existence of the spread of the illness in the hospital (nosocomial infection/the hospital aquired infection).
However really the maintenance that in general only one day, set aside this possibility.

This conclusion was reinforced with the reality not the discovery of illness germs to the infusion liquid and cooling tower AC.
Ejak on December 1 2006 in RS Sint Carolus was not found again by the new sufferer who showed the similar sign.

The report concerning the incident that was found in RS RS Sint Carolus, showed the RS interest in the possibility of the new infectious diseases emergence (emerging infectious diseases).
This was important considering Indonesia at this time was increasing kesiap-siagaan faced new infectious diseases like the Bird Flu illness and the possibility of the emergence of the influenza pandemic.

Because of that was hoped RS must increase the quality of the maintenance of facilities and the Community was asked for to better guarded the health, was on the alert/preceptive towards the disturbance of the health, and especially to parents, medicating immediately to the health power if being sick.

This news was broadcasted by the Centre of the Public's Communication, the Secretariat General the Department of the Health.

For information further could contact through the number of the telephone/fax: 021-5223002 and 52960661, or the e-mail puskom.depkes@gmail.com or puskom.publik@yahoo.co.id.

http://www.depkes.go.id/index.php?option=news&task=viewarticle&sid=2403

[gsgs]

Re: Health officials probe 22 mystery deaths in Jakarta

old males' human high fever disease. Can we have Mingus' dianosis,plese ?