A Child Suspected Of Being Attacked By A Diphtheria In West Lampung Dies

Officers wore personal protective equipment while bathing the body of a child who was suspected of having a diphtheria. (ANTARA/HO)

LAMPUNG - A nine-year-old child suspected of having a diphtheria in Pekon (Village) Hujung, Belalau District, West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province, died after undergoing treatment. "The child was declared dead after undergoing treatment at the puskesmas and Alimuddin Umar Hospital in West Lampung," said Head of Pekon Hjung Ismet Liza in West Lampung, Antara, Wednesday, May 8. He said that the child was taken by his parents last Monday to the Belalau Health Center because he was sick and the puskesmas officer referred him to Alimudin Umar Hospital because the results of the examination showed symptoms leading to a differial disease. "On Tuesday (7/3) morning at around 01.00 WIB the deceased was about to be referred to the Abdul Moeloek Hospital in Bandar Lampung, but only arrived at Simpang Luas, Batu Kecamatan, the condition of the deceased was getting weaker, so they turned around to the Belalau Health Center and were declared dead at around 02.00 WIB this morning," he said. According to him, the child's body was taken to the funeral home in Pekon Hujung at around 04.00 WIB for burial. Before being buried, the child's body was washed by officers wearing personal protective equipment. Director of the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Alimudin Umar dr. Iman Hendarman said that the symptoms experienced by the pediatric patient were similar to those of the diphtheria. According to him, hospital officials have sent samples taken from the child to be examined in the laboratory to ensure the illness suffered. "We have also taken samples for laboratory tests to the center, and the results are at the earliest one month after we send samples," said Iman. He explained that according to the patient's initial diagnosis, it was constitutional or inflammatory on two oval-shaped tissue pads behind the throat. "If the results of the lab tests go out and the results are negative, we have an anticipatory effort, and when the results are positive we have also made prevention efforts, because we do not expect unwanted things to happen," he said. Diphtheria are infectious diseases that are mainly caused by Corynebacterium diphteria infection, bacteria that attack mucus membranes in the nose and throat and can affect the skin. According to information published on the Ministry of Health's website, the symptoms of the disease attack are usually in the form of the formation of a thin gray layer covering the throat and amendel and sore throat, hoarse sound, cough, runny nose, fever, chills, weakness, and a lump appears in the neck due to swelling of the lymph node. A person can catch a diphtheria if they accidentally inhale or swallow saliva splashes released by a sufferer when coughing or sneezing or touching an object that is contaminated with the patient's saliva. Diphtheria can attack people of all ages and risk causing serious infections that have the potential to be life-threatening.