Antara News, Tuesday, January 12, 2010 01:51 WIB
Semarang (ANTARA News) - As many as 19 Semarang city residents died of leptopsirosis in the past two years, Joko Mardijanto, head of Central Java`s health office`s disease control and environmental sanitation section, said here on Monday.
Semarang was the region in Central Java with the highest incidence of the disease caused by bacteria transmitted by the urine of rats over the past two years, the Central Java public health official said.
In 2008, a total of 231 leptopsirosis cases happened in the city with 15 of them ending in the sufferer`s death. In 2009, there were 151 cases with four fatalities.
The fatalities occurred mainly because of belated treatment, Djoko said, adding that the disease was associated with flooding.
"We call on residents in flood-prone areas to be extra alert when their neighborhoods are under flood waters because the risk of contracting leptopsirosis will then increase," he said.
Djoko said beside Semarang, the Demak and Pati regions of Central Java province were also vulnerable to the disease.
People living in regions where floods often happen must not only guard against dengue fever but also against leptopsirosis, he said.
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