Ministry of Health Discovers 18 Suspected Acute Hepatitis Patients
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14 May 2022 22:07 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Health again reported findings on suspected acute hepatitis of unknown origins. The report mentioned that 18 people are suspected of suffering from the disease, and is spread in North Sumatera, West Sumatera, Bangka Belitung, Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and East Kalimantan.
"Mostly in Jakarta with 12 cases," said the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and President Director of the Sulianto Saroso National Infection Center Syahril in his statement on Saturday, May 14, 2022.
According to the Ministry of Health, out of the 18 cases, as many as nine cases are pending classification, seven cases were discarded, one case is under verification process, and one possible case. The seven discarded cases include one Hepatitis A infection, one Hepatitis B infection, one Tifoid infection, two dengue fever infections, and two other cases with patients over 16 years old.
Further investigation did not discover direct transmission from humans.
"Seven out of 18 patients suspected of acute hepatitis has been declared dead, however currently there can be no confirmation if they are dead because of the acute hepatitis disease or other factors," Syahril said.
Furthermore, Syahril revealed that patients suspected of acute hepatitis are within the range of 0 to 20 years old. Mostly children in between the age of 5 to 9 years old as many as six people, the age between 0 to 4 years old as many as four people, the age between 10 to 14 years old as many as four people, and the age between to 15 to 20 years-old as many as four people.
Symptoms found on suspected acute hepatitis patients are fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, stomachache, joint pains, yellow eyes and skin, itchy rash, and brown urine.
"Although the symptoms, lead to acute hepatitis, it cannot be confirmed that the patient is suffering from acute hepatitis, therefore further laboratory examination is needed," Syahril said.
The Ministry of Health with other respective stakeholders is in the middle of conducting an investigation by analyzing pathogens using the Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) and further epidemiology investigation. The examinations are conducted to confirm the main cause of acute hepatitis.
M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH
