Residents Must Recognize Acute Hepatitis For Early Prevention

Head of the Bandung City Health Office, Ahyani Raksanagara. (ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)

BANDUNG - The Bandung City Health Office (Dinkes) asked the public to recognize the symptoms of acute hepatitis as an early prevention so they can watch out for its transmission.

Head of the Bandung City Health Office, Ahyani Raksanagara, in Bandung, West Java, Wednesday, May 11, said the World Health Organization or WHO has declared the spread of hepatitis that needs to be watched out for.

But being vigilant, she said, doesn't mean people should panic.

"Extraordinary vigilance is needed because it has been reported in 12 countries. Whether it is independent or transmissible, I don't know yet, but be vigilant," she said as quoted by Antara.

She explained that the symptoms of acute hepatitis were jaundice, while the symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, and changes in the color of urine to the color of tea.

Ahyani said that the transmission of acute hepatitis was thought to be through the mouth, so people need to be wary of food that enters through the mouth.

"Anticipation is number one, the public must understand, because that can happen if we don't maintain our behavior when eating, before eating it is better for us to prepare food and choose food," she said.

Her party has also carried out socialization to every health facility in the city of Bandung in order to recognize the characteristics of acute hepatitis.

"We provide socialization to health facilities so that they don't stutter if there are such complaints (acute hepatitis, ed.)," she said.

So far, she said, no children in Bandung have been infected with acute hepatitis.

She asked parents to make sure their children wash their hands regularly as a preventive measure.

"Make sure children under 16 years of age wash their hands diligently before eating, choose food, and don't share tablespoons," she said.