Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
There have been 242 cases of elephantiasis reported in Tangerang regency over the past eight years, the regency's health agency has said.
"As of this year, we have declared elephantiasis endemic in 60 villages in 16 districts and will be providing mass treatment at no cost in the villages on November 12, to coincide with National Health Day," Yuli Sunar Dewanti, the head of communicable diseases and environmental sanitation at the agency, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The actual number of people living with elephantiasis in the regency may have doubled from that identified thus far, as detection of the disease can be quite difficult, she added.
"Last year, we discovered up to 81 cases of elephantiasis, but as of June this year we could only identify 18 new cases," she said.
The new cases were discovered recently, after the agency took blood samples from residents in several villages, Yuli added. Most of those afflicted were between the ages of 20 and 45.
Lymphatic filariasis had begun to cause swelling and disfigurement of patients' arms, legs, thighs and genitals, she said.
The disease has been on the rise in the regency over the last three years, with eight cases in 2005, 37 in 2006, and 81 last year, Yuli added.
The health agency has thus far declared 16 of the regency's 36 districts disease-prone, including Ciputat, Pondok Aren, Teluknaga, Cikupa, Rajeg, Pamulang, Balaraja, Sepatan, East Sepatan, Cisauk, Cisoka, Mekar Baru, Legok, Pasar Kemis and Curug districts.
The agency earlier began a mass treatment program for the disease in several areas where it is believed to be endemic, only to halt activities due to lack of funding.
Fifteen of the 18 cases were discovered in Pamulang district alone.
Head of the Pamulang community health center Unna Ramadona said the patients had been given intensive treatment, including diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole pills, to be consumed regularly over the course of five years.
"Although elephantiasis is not life-threatening, it can permanently damage a person's kidneys or lymphatic system," Unna added.
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