Indonesia Confirmed H1N1 Flu
June 24, 2009 by Medan Indonesia
Filed under Travel, Travel Tips
H1N1 Swine Flu in Indonesia First Case Confirmed
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s health minister confirmed on Wednesday the country’s first cases of the H1N1 flu virus after an Indonesian pilot in Jakarta and a British woman in the resort island of Bali tested positive for the virus.
The 22-year-old British woman had been living in Australia, while the pilot, 37, had travelled to Australia and Hong Kong, Indonesia Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said.
The minister told a news conference that she believed both cases had originated from Australia and there was no evidence the virus had spread in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country with 226 million people.
reuters picture: A nurse prepares an isolation ward and medical equipment, in the event that suspected Influenza A (H1N1) flu patients are hospitalized, in Persahabatan hospital in Jakarta on June 12, 2009
“I assure you Indonesians have not been infecting other Indonesians. Both cases were transmitted from abroad,” the minister said, adding that those in contact with the two confirmed sufferers had been screened for the virus.
She urged health authorities in Bali, the country’s main tourism hub, to increase surveillance of those visiting the island from abroad.
The minister also said she was concerned that if H1N1 got a foothold in Indonesia there was a risk it could combine with the much deadlier H5N1 bird flu virus.
Indonesia has the highest death toll from bird flu of any country, with the country’s bird flu commission confirming 119 deaths from the disease.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the health ministry boosted precaution measures already taken nationwide, the minister said. Visitors from infected countries, such as Australia, would have special surveillance, the minister said.
The minister said that new steps would be taken such as intensifying communication among health authorities in the region and stepping up surveillance in Bali, where many visitors from Australia, which has been infected by the virus with 2,436 cases, are coming in.
“With our neighboring countries, communication would be intensified through telephone. Should a patient is found in a plane, (for example), it would be examined all the passenger in the three line vertical and horizontal,” she said.
As the spread of the virus in Australia was high, the minister said that the authorities gave every visitor from the country a health alert card.
“Honestly, I worry about those coming from Australia. We take a special measure at surveillance post in Bali to prevent those coming from Australia for vacation to Bali bring the virus,” she added.
“We boost our precaution at all level of health authorities, and step up preparedness on all health facilities at all hospitals, airports, laboratory, and others,” Supari said.
Four Indonesians so far have been affected by the virus overseas. The ministry forbids them to return home before they were cleared from the disease, she said.
The H1N1 virus has spread around the globe and the World Health Organisation has declared an influenza pandemic and advised governments to prepare for a long-term battle against H1N1.
There have been more than 50,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus and at least 237 people have died.
Although, we are still lucky enough not to find any case in Medan, we should still be cautious and take necessary precautions.
Some precautions to take while traveling:
- Wear a mask to prevent any transmissions of fluid or virus
- Wash hands regularly with soap or anti septic
- Take good care of health and take more vitamins to prevent catching any flu ( just in case you get suspected of catching the H1N1 flu and caused restrictions in your travel even if you just have a common cold)
- If you have any these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately, such as flu with high fever 38C ; difficulty in breathing ; cough or sorethroat.
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[...] Latest update: 24 June 2009, Indonesia Health Minister reports first cases of H1N1 Flu in Indonesia [...]
Thank you for your quick information on h1n1 virus in Indonesia. To be honest, I am very worried about the catching the flu when I travel. There are so many people moving around airports and hotels and you never know who has the virus. Knowing that many of these patients passed the detection at the airport.
This is true, to protect swine flu from spreading, I always wear a mask when traveling to protect myself as well as protect others.
Besides personnal hygiene , more important is to cut down unnecessary travel to those affected countries.Once you imported a case into your country,it will be more difficult to control.My country also have such cases after someone imported it back .And I think it is also fair that people from those affected countries should also refrain from oversea holidays…..that is why I have to give Medan a miss this time though I miss the Medanese……But I can visit Medan ku more often instead……
But I can visit Medan ku more often instead……
thanks for this
2 new cases of H1N1 Swine flu confirmed today in Denpasar Bali, total 4 patients till date in Indonesia.
Medan North Sumatra is still safe from the virus as no case has been reported as yet. All international arrivals passengers into Medan Polonia Airport will go through the Body Clean Disinfection Health Quarantine, a machine that sprays alcohol disinfectant to the whole body and hand baggage and has to complete a health alert card.
[...] Airports in Indonesia have installed thermal scanners and body cleaners (Body Clean Disinfectant Health Quarantine Machine) as part of efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases such as hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD), SARS, avian flu (bird flu) and the H1N1 Swine (Pig) flu. To date, Indonesia has confirmed 4 cases of H1N1 virus [...]
JAKARTA : Three Australian children were among six newly confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Indonesia on Sunday, bringing the country’s total infections to eight.
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said two boys aged 10 and 12 and a girl aged 14 had been on the same flight from Australia to the resort island of Bali as a 22-year-old Briton who had earlier tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus.
Three other new Indonesian cases included two relatives who had visited Singapore and a 22-year-old woman who visited Australia.
“All the six are doing fine,” said Supari, adding that the Australians are now being isolated at Bali’s Sanglah hospital and the Indonesians at a Jakarta hospital.
H1N1 Breaking News: TV Media reported Adam Malik Hospital treating a family in Medan suspected of contracting Swine Flu from traveling
20 confirmed H1N1 Swine Flu in Indonesia 11 Suspected cases in Medan receiving treatment at hospital. More on H1N1 Symptoms
My friend n I plan for a travel end of this month to Medan.It’s seem that we have to think twice for our travel don’t we?Any suggesstion?
The H1N1 flu can be found almost anywhere around the world. The ones that are found in Medan are suspects who have traveled overseas. They are all being treated and contained. The virus is not spreading around Medan like it has in Australia, US etc.
It is more important that you take steps to protect yourself with mask on your journey.
To Mimi
“any suggestion?”
Ha Ha..Best is to visit this MedanKu site more often for the time being if you miss Medan.You are kind and considerate if you are from one of the affected country and think twice about travelling..like me…I am not worry that I may catch the flu from Medan ,but worry that I may export that into another country,if I got it.
Anyway,must visit Medan more often next time…
The Health Ministry said Tuesday eight more individuals were suspected of having the H1N1 strain of flu.
This brings to 28 the total number of people in the country with suspected or confirmed cases of the deadly flu variant, the ministry said in a statement.
One of the eight new H1N1 suspects is being treated at Sanglah General Hospital in Denpasar, Bali, while two are at Jakarta’s Sulianti Saroso Hospital and three are at Medan’s H. Adam Malik Hospital.
The ministry said two others had just returned from countries with H1N1pandemic status
JAKARTA, July 9 (Xinhua) — Indonesian hospitals are now treating 52 people who are positively infected A/H1N1 virus, including 3 foreigners, Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said here on Thursday.
The health minister told a press conference here that among the 52 patients, there are cases of human-to-human virus transmission.
“We learned that 12 of those patients were resulted from human to human virus transmission within a month,” she was quoted by the detik.com as saying.
To avoid the possibility from being infected by the A H1N1 virus, the health minister called on the public to exercise healthy and clean living.
Siti said that A/H1N1 flu is a curable disease. She, however, said that government would continue screening people who had just arrived from traveling abroad.
Government will also use the Tamiflu tablet to heal A/H1N1 patients in the country, she added.
Health Ministry announced today there are 6 positive and 9 negative patients in Medan for the 15 suspected of H1N1 Swine Flu
H1N1 Swine Flu in Medan Suspects=20, Confirmed=7, announced by Sumut Health Authorities – Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Sumut
We must still take precautions when traveling to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu. Thanks for your contribution to Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival.