Already Caused 7 People To Die, Garut Health Office Examines 72 People To Detect Diphtheria Outbreaks

GARUT - The Garut District Health Office, West Java, has examined the health conditions of 72 people who had close contact with positive diphtheria patients for laboratory tests to detect an outbreak of the disease.

Diphtheria is currently hitting Garut and has caused seven people to die.

"Those whose samples were taken were in close contact with diphtheria sufferers, and are still waiting for the results of their examinations," Secretary of the Garut District Health Office (Dinkes) Leli Yuliani told reporters in Garut, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, February 22.

Many diphtheria outbreaks have been reported infecting residents in Sukahurip Village, Pangatikan District, where the majority of sufferers are children.

Diphtheria cases, she said, had appeared since the last four weeks with details of four observational cases of diphtheria, four suspected cases, two positive confirmed cases, and 55 people who were reported to be in close contact with positive patients.

In addition, there were also seven people who died without any explanation of their medical history, so the cause of death was not certain because of diphtheria or other illnesses.

"We can't confirm whether the cause of death is diphtheria, because we haven't had time to check it through laboratory tests," she said.

She conveyed that the Garut Health Office is currently still waiting for the results of laboratory test reports on 72 people. If it is known that they are infected with diphtheria, they will immediately take fast and appropriate steps in dealing with diphtheria patients.

Meanwhile, she said, reports from the laboratory there were two people aged seven years and a teenager 19 who were positive, so a total of five people were infected with diphtheria.

"We received a report from the West Java Provincial Labkesda that there were an additional three people who were confirmed positive, so the total to date is five people," she said.

The Garut Regency Government has issued a Decree of the Garut Regent concerning the Stipulation of Diphtheria Extraordinary Events (KLB) for 10 months or until November 2023.

The Garut Regency Government will also carry out mass vaccination against diphtheria cases for children, one of which is by visiting schools.