REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MUARA TEWEH -- Some 62 dengue fever cases were reported from January to March 2015 in a number of places in North Barito district, Central Kalimantan, according to the local health office.

"The number of dengue cases reported within the last three months has been the highest in the last several years," North Barito's Health Office Chief Robansyah said here Wednesday.

In March 2015, 32 dengue cases were reported while 16 cases were recorded in January, and 14 cases in February.

There are currently three children suffering from dengue fever and they are hospitalized in Muara Teweh Hospital "Although the number of dengue cases has increased over the last three months, no casualties have been reported," Robansyah observed.

To anticipate a dengue fever outbreak, Robansyah remarked that fumigation efforts and counseling for residents have been carried out in a number of villages.

Fumigation efforts are focused on villages that have reported dengue cases.

"In the near future, we will carry out fumigation in Muara Teweh city where three children living within a radius of 100 meters have down with dengue fever," Robansyah pointed out.

Anticipating an outbreak, the local health office is also disseminating information regarding environmental hygiene and mosquito eradication, besides studying climate change impacts on the behavioral patterns of infectious diseases and making provisions for the distributing of abate powder.

Besides anticipating a dengue fever outbreak, fumigation is also carried out to eradicate chikungunya, a disease causes fever and joint pain.

The number of dengue fever cases reached 78 during January to December 2014, but no fatalities were reported. In 2013, some 15 cases were recorded, 1 case in 2012, and five in 2011. While 2010 recorded 19 cases, 17 cases were reported in 2009 and one child died from the disease.

The dengue infection rate has declined compared to the January-April period in 2008 when it reached 47 cases, of which one died. The local government had announced it as an extraordinary event (the outbreak).

"We are still trying to prevent the dengue outbreak. Besides health officials disseminating information about the disease, the people are also expected to keep their environment clean," Robansyah stressed.

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