http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/16-die-from-mysterious-outbreak-in-papua/373834
16 Die From Mysterious Outbreak in Papua
Paniai, Papua. Sixteen people have died and at least six others have been hospitalized with suspected gastroenteritis in less than a fortnight in a remote part of Papua, local leaders say, but a top government official denies knowing of any such outbreak.
The head of the Uwebutu village in Yatamo subdistrict, Paniai, said all the deaths had occurred in the village between April 20 and Monday, while survivors suffering from acute diarrhea and vomiting had been taken to Paniai General Hospital.
Most villages in the area had been overwhelmed by large numbers of people falling ill with diarrhea, forcing local authorities to officially declare an outbreak, he said.
However, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, director general for infectious diseases and environmental health at the Ministry of Health, on Friday said that he was unaware of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Paniai.
?I met with regional heads from Papua and Paniai on Thursday, but none of them said anything about an outbreak,? he said at his office in Jakarta, adding that he would try to verify the reports.
In Yatamo Epouto subdistrict, Petrusio, the village council head, said dozens of villagers had become ill.
He said gastroenteritis had long been endemic in Paniai, but the large number of death in the latest outbreak had hit local communities particularly hard.
Petrusio blamed the severity of the outbreak on the poor hygiene practiced by local villagers, saying garbage disposal was nonexistent, creating unsanitary conditions that promoted bacterial infection.
He also lambasted the apparent lack of response from the government.
?The authorities claim they have been running prevention and treatment programs, but the number of those falling sick continues to mount,? he said. ?They should stop telling us that their handling of the outbreak is working, because clearly nothing has been achieved.?
16 Die From Mysterious Outbreak in Papua
Paniai, Papua. Sixteen people have died and at least six others have been hospitalized with suspected gastroenteritis in less than a fortnight in a remote part of Papua, local leaders say, but a top government official denies knowing of any such outbreak.
The head of the Uwebutu village in Yatamo subdistrict, Paniai, said all the deaths had occurred in the village between April 20 and Monday, while survivors suffering from acute diarrhea and vomiting had been taken to Paniai General Hospital.
Most villages in the area had been overwhelmed by large numbers of people falling ill with diarrhea, forcing local authorities to officially declare an outbreak, he said.
However, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, director general for infectious diseases and environmental health at the Ministry of Health, on Friday said that he was unaware of an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Paniai.
?I met with regional heads from Papua and Paniai on Thursday, but none of them said anything about an outbreak,? he said at his office in Jakarta, adding that he would try to verify the reports.
In Yatamo Epouto subdistrict, Petrusio, the village council head, said dozens of villagers had become ill.
He said gastroenteritis had long been endemic in Paniai, but the large number of death in the latest outbreak had hit local communities particularly hard.
Petrusio blamed the severity of the outbreak on the poor hygiene practiced by local villagers, saying garbage disposal was nonexistent, creating unsanitary conditions that promoted bacterial infection.
He also lambasted the apparent lack of response from the government.
?The authorities claim they have been running prevention and treatment programs, but the number of those falling sick continues to mount,? he said. ?They should stop telling us that their handling of the outbreak is working, because clearly nothing has been achieved.?