Alert! Dengue Fever In NTT Reaches 1,155 Cases, It Can Be Declared An Extraordinary Event If It Is Not Controlled

Officers from the Kupang City Health Office, East Nusa Tenggara Province spraying mosquito nests (Photo Via Antara)

KUPANG - The Provincial Government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) said that cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) began to spike when entering the rainy season.

Head of Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health, Population and Civil Registration Office of NTT Province, Erlina Salmun said, if it is not controlled properly, it can be declared an Extraordinary Event (KLB).

"DHF cases increased significantly after the rainy season began to hit NTT Province in January 2022. The number of dengue fever jumped to reach 1,155 cases," he said in Kupang, Antara, Wednesday, February 16.

Based on data for the period January -13 February 2022, eight people died from dengue. The distribution of 1,155 cases of dengue fever was in West Manggarai Regency with 212 cases, Kupang City with 208 cases, Sikka with 156 cases and Southwest Sumba with 104 cases.

Meanwhile, eight people died from DHF with one distribution from Nagekeo Regency, one person from Sikka, three people from Ngada, one person from Kupang City, one person from Southwest Sumba, and one person from Central Sumba.

He hopes that all parties must carry out prevention and control by coordinating across sectors.

"There also needs to be a task force for handling dengue fever in every district/city. And the community is aggressively carrying out the Mosquito Nest Eradication (PSN) movement by cleaning places that are mosquito nests such as bathtubs and others as well as with 3M Plus," said Erlina.

He also said that in anticipating mosquito bites outside the house, it is hoped that during the COVID-19 pandemic, larval and PSN control and eradication will continue to be carried out as well as the availability of facilities and infrastructure in health facilities for handling dengue fever.