The Health Ministry has responded seriously to a mysterious case of acute hepatitis that was recently discovered to be mostly infecting children.
Cases of the mysterious acute hepatitis have previously been found in Europe, America, and Asia. In Indonesia, three pediatric patients who were being treated at the Dr Ciptomangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta were suspected of contracting acute hepatitis which resulted in their deaths.
Until now, it is not known with certainty the cause of the emergence of this acute hepatitis.
Symptoms of Acute Hepatitis
Currently, the Health Ministry is working to investigate the causes of acute hepatitis through a complete virus panel examination. The symptoms found in these patients, as quoted from the Ministry’s website, are as follows:
- Nausea and vomit
- Severe diarrhea
- Fever
- Yellow of the skin
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
Precautions
Spokesperson for the Health Ministry Dr Siti Nadia Tarmizi appealed to the public to be careful and remain calm.
Some preventative measures parents and children can take include:
- Washing hands
- Ensuring food is cooked and clean
- Not sharing eating utensils
- Avoiding contact with sick people
- Implementing health protocols
Tarmizi reminded people that if children have symptoms of jaundice, abdominal pain, sudden vomiting and diarrhea, old tea-colored urine, pale stools, seizures, and decreased consciousness, they should immediately visit the nearest health facility.
The Health Ministry has also asked relevant teams to inform the public to immediately visit the nearest health facility if patients have Yellow Fever, and build and strengthen surveillance networks across programs and sectors.
“Of course, we are strengthening surveillance through cross-programmes and cross-sectors so that immediate action can be taken if cases of acute jaundice syndrome are found or those with symptoms such as hepatitis symptoms,” said Tarmizi.