Dengue fever outbreak hits Yogyakarta 2008

YOGYAKARTA: At least 124 people were treated at Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta for dengue fever from January to Feb. 10, with one death.

Hospital spokesman Trisno Heru Nugroho said the number of patients was expected to continue rising, a situation he blamed on poor sanitation in the city.

Heru said the hospital had treated 78 dengue fever patients as of last week, but the number jumped to 124 within days.

"Within one week there were 46 additional dengue fever patients being treated at the hospital," he said.

Despite the surge in the number of patients, the hospital has been able to cope, he said.

He said last year the number of dengue patients treated at the hospital was 475, or 39 per month.

To avoid more patients, he said, joint sanitation efforts had to be launched.

"If part of the population of a village does not want to join the sanitation program, all of the residents will be at risk of infection," he said.