Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Indonesia Probing Legionnaire's Outbreak on Bali
January 18, 2011
Bali. Indonesia is investigating reports of an outbreak of Legionnaire?s disease on the resort island of Bali, an official said on Tuesday after 10 Australians returned home with the disease.
Bali health department chief Nyoman Sutedja said the Australian government had passed on information about a possible outbreak but so far no sign of the disease had been found.
?We are investigating in the field after receiving a report from the Australian consulate. From the hospitals here we have received no reports of people being infected with Legionnaire?s,? he said.
?We suspect that the disease came from hotels which failed to clean up their water supply.?
The West Australian Health Department warned citizens who have recently visited Bali to be alert for symptoms after a total of 10 Australians were treated for the potentially fatal flu-like disease.
Five were diagnosed with severe pneumonia after returning from holidays in Bali in December.
Western Australia?s acting chief health officer, Andy Robertson, said the holidaymakers most likely caught the infection in the central Kuta area of Bali, the island?s main tourist hangout.
?We recommend that anyone who falls in one or more of these risk groups who develops flu-like illness after returning from Bali seeks medical advice, and notifies their doctor of their recent travel,? Robertson said.
The disease most often affects middle-aged and elderly people, particularly those who smoke or who have lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease or a weakened immune system.
Symptoms are similar to a severe flu and could include fever, chills, muscle soreness, headaches, tiredness, reduced appetite, diarrhoea, dry coughing and breathlessness.
Health insurer International SOS said the cases began in August. At least six victims were believed to have used the same Kuta hotel, and most had visited the same shopping center, it said.
Jakarta Globe
January 18, 2011
Bali. Indonesia is investigating reports of an outbreak of Legionnaire?s disease on the resort island of Bali, an official said on Tuesday after 10 Australians returned home with the disease.
Bali health department chief Nyoman Sutedja said the Australian government had passed on information about a possible outbreak but so far no sign of the disease had been found.
?We are investigating in the field after receiving a report from the Australian consulate. From the hospitals here we have received no reports of people being infected with Legionnaire?s,? he said.
?We suspect that the disease came from hotels which failed to clean up their water supply.?
The West Australian Health Department warned citizens who have recently visited Bali to be alert for symptoms after a total of 10 Australians were treated for the potentially fatal flu-like disease.
Five were diagnosed with severe pneumonia after returning from holidays in Bali in December.
Western Australia?s acting chief health officer, Andy Robertson, said the holidaymakers most likely caught the infection in the central Kuta area of Bali, the island?s main tourist hangout.
?We recommend that anyone who falls in one or more of these risk groups who develops flu-like illness after returning from Bali seeks medical advice, and notifies their doctor of their recent travel,? Robertson said.
The disease most often affects middle-aged and elderly people, particularly those who smoke or who have lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease or a weakened immune system.
Symptoms are similar to a severe flu and could include fever, chills, muscle soreness, headaches, tiredness, reduced appetite, diarrhoea, dry coughing and breathlessness.
Health insurer International SOS said the cases began in August. At least six victims were believed to have used the same Kuta hotel, and most had visited the same shopping center, it said.
Jakarta Globe
