Amuntai, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - A total of 87 children in North Hulu Sungai (HSU) detected to have elephantiasis or kaki gajah (elephant's foot) which if not treated in the long run lead to a swelling of limbs and disability.
Section Head of Disease Eradication of the local health agency in Amuntai, Muhammad Yuta Wijaya, said on Thursday that the data is based on test results of blood samples taken from 1,434 elementary school students in 13 subdistricts by the health workers and the result was 87 children tested positive for filariasis (elephantiasis).
Number of patients with elephantiasis is predicted even more, because the transmission of filariasis worm seed of the patient's body is transmitted through mosquito bites.
Yuta said the health office regularly almost every year doing this elephant's foot disease treatment, after the previous transmission assessment surveys (TAS) to determine whether there is transmission of this disease in the community.
"Since the discovery of elephantiasis patients in HSU in 2004, at that time 13 people tested positive and some of whom had swollen hands and feet, then on instructions from the Ministry of Health each year HSU conduct mass treatment," said Yuta.
However, this treatment does not guarantee filariasis patients no longer exists. In 2012, health workers found citizens who suffer from the disease. Yuta suspect, there are still people with filariasis which was when he was a baby or toddler had not given preventive medication.
"Insya Allah, mass and free medication to all members of the community will be done by all health workers in the subdistricts and villages in October," he said.
These drugs will be given to all kindergarten and early childhood in the form of a powder to prevent the emergence of this disease in the future. Health workers will come to people's homes to distribute three types of drugs, Carbamazine Diethyl Citrate (DEC) and albendazole 100 mg dose of 400 mg. Another is Paracetamol to overcome the side effects of taking both drugs.
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Kalimantan Selatan 2014
Section Head of Disease Eradication of the local health agency in Amuntai, Muhammad Yuta Wijaya, said on Thursday that the data is based on test results of blood samples taken from 1,434 elementary school students in 13 subdistricts by the health workers and the result was 87 children tested positive for filariasis (elephantiasis).
Number of patients with elephantiasis is predicted even more, because the transmission of filariasis worm seed of the patient's body is transmitted through mosquito bites.
Yuta said the health office regularly almost every year doing this elephant's foot disease treatment, after the previous transmission assessment surveys (TAS) to determine whether there is transmission of this disease in the community.
"Since the discovery of elephantiasis patients in HSU in 2004, at that time 13 people tested positive and some of whom had swollen hands and feet, then on instructions from the Ministry of Health each year HSU conduct mass treatment," said Yuta.
However, this treatment does not guarantee filariasis patients no longer exists. In 2012, health workers found citizens who suffer from the disease. Yuta suspect, there are still people with filariasis which was when he was a baby or toddler had not given preventive medication.
"Insya Allah, mass and free medication to all members of the community will be done by all health workers in the subdistricts and villages in October," he said.
These drugs will be given to all kindergarten and early childhood in the form of a powder to prevent the emergence of this disease in the future. Health workers will come to people's homes to distribute three types of drugs, Carbamazine Diethyl Citrate (DEC) and albendazole 100 mg dose of 400 mg. Another is Paracetamol to overcome the side effects of taking both drugs.
Editor : Asmuni Kadri
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Kalimantan Selatan 2014