Good News, 11 People With Diphtheria In Garut Declared Cured, 2 The Rest Are Still Being Treated

Secretary of the Garut District Health Office Leli Yuliani. (ANTARA/Feri Purnama)

Eleven of the 13 people who tested positive for the diphtheria in Pangatikan District, Garut Regency, West Java Province, have been declared cured. While the remaining two are still undergoing treatment at the hospital according to data from the Health Office. "The 13 positive, 11 recovered, two are still being treated, conditions are improving," said Secretary of the Garut District Health Office Leli Yuliani in Garut, Antara, Wednesday, March 15. The Garut Health Office continues to strive to contain the transmission of the diphtheria, including dealing with residents affected by the diphtheria and carrying out vaccinations. According to him, differial vaccination already covers 63.81 percent of the approximately 11 thousand people who are prioritized to receive vaccinations in the Pangatikan District area. "We are also doing it gradually, every day," he said. He said that the local government had determined the findings of the diphtheria case in Garut as an extraordinary incident (KLB). In accordance with the policy regarding the handling of KLB, he explained, differial vaccination is carried out in three rounds, namely from March to April, May to October, and November 2023. The government provides mobile diphtheria vaccination services as well as centralized diphtheria vaccination services at village and school offices. "Most of us come to schools, right, they are two months to 12 years old," said Leli. According to data from the Garut District Health Office, the transmission of the differial disease has killed eight people, all residents of Pangatikan District. Positive cases of the diphtheria have not been found in other sub-districts. According to information published by the Ministry of Health, the main diphtheria is caused by the Corynebacterium diphteriae bacterial infection, which attacks mucus membranes on the nose and throat and can affect the skin. Symptoms of disease transmission include sore throat and respiratory problems.