Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Dengue fever has killed 29 residents of the Indonesian resort island of Bali over the past ten months of 2010, the province's health authority said.
They were among 10,230 residents who suffered from the dengue fever virus between January and October 2010, Head of Bali Province's Health Office dr.I Nyoman Suteja said here Wednesday.
"A total of 10,201 patients can recover from the fever after having intensive medical treatments," he said.
Bali's population was 3.9 million people; and 0.28 percent was vulnerable to the dengue fever attacks, he said.
Denpasar city's neighborhood areas were the most vulnerable because there were 3,716 cases with the death toll of 20 this year, he said.
Besides Denpasar city, the dengue fever cases were also found in the districts of Badung, Buleleng,Gianyar, and Klungkung, he said.
The dengue fever remains a serious threat to Indonesians. In Palu, Central Sulawesi, the dengue fever had killed ten Palu residents over the past eight months of 2010.
In Lebak district, Banten Province, the sub-district, which were reportedly vulnerable to the dengue fever cases were Warunggunung, Rangkasbitung, Cibadak, Kalanganyar, Sajira, Cimarga, Binuangeun, Cikulur, Maja and Leuwidamar.
Most of the patients lived in densely-populated areas, a local health worker said.
In curbing the virus, people were urged to practice a healthy life style and avoid creating stagnant water ponds, which could be used by the Aedes mosquitoes as a breeding ground.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes transmit the virus to human beings.
WHO estimated that some 2.5 billion people were at risk from dengue in which 50 million dengue infections were found worldwide every year.
In Indonesia, the dengue fever cases can be found in Java and other islands.(*)
