TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Health Agency Head Widyastuti said the agency is still studying the clinical criteria and epidemiology of the mysterious acute hepatitis or liver inflammation. She said the government has not yet dared to conclude the pattern of the disease.

“It is a mysterious [disease] that surely needs investigation. We are not in haste to conclude what it is,” she said at City Hall, Central Jakarta, Monday, May 9, 2022.

Previously reported, the Health Ministry stated that three child patients at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Central National Hospital (RSCM) died of suspected mysterious hepatitis. They were treated for two weeks starting April 30, 2022. The cause remains unknown.

Widyastuti said hepatitis was not a new disease as there have been hepatitis types A-E. Thus, early vigilance has been practiced from the beginning. “So of course, we all must stay vigilant,” she remarked.

The Jakarta Health Office, Widyastuti went on, has coordinated with the Health Ministry, RSCM, and the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) to develop guidelines related to clinical and epidemiological aspects for field officers.

To prevent contracting acute hepatitis and keep this disease from spreading wider, residents are asked to exercise a clean and healthy lifedata-style (PBHS) and maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of their surrounding areas.

Read: IDAI Responds to Issue Linking Acute Hepatitis Cases with COVID-19 Vaccine

LANI DIANA WIJAYA