Indonesia: Cases of 4 Children Who Die from Acute Hepatitis Investigated

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Health Ministry is working closely with relevant agencies, including international ones to detect the cause of the mysterious acute variant of hepatitis.

Four children have died from the mysterious acute variant of hepatitis in Indonesia said the secretary of the directorate general of public health at the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi on Monday, May 9.

“Yes, [four cases have been found] they are still being examined and verified by the district health office as we received reports of jaundice,” Nadia told Kompas.com.

The ministry has coordinated with the local health officials after the death of another child possibly linked to acute hepatitis in East Java’s Tulungagung recently.

“We are still waiting for some examinations,” she said.

Also read: Acute Hepatitis Not Linked to Covid-19 Vaccination, Says Indonesia’s Health Ministry

Recently, a 7-year-old child died after receiving treatments at a hospital for a few days. The Ministry of Health is still investigating the cause of the mysterious liver disease through a thorough virus panel examination.

Before that, three other children also died from acute hepatitis in Indonesia last month after receiving treatment at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta.
The ministry, she added, has increased vigilance in the last two weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared acute hepatitis an extraordinary event.

Separately, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the virus that causes acute hepatitis spreads through food intake. The minister urged the public to wash their hands and ensure food is safe for consumption.

Acute hepatitis has been identified in children aged under 16 years old.
Indonesia is working with the WHO, the US, and the UK to detect the cause of acute hepatitis.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari, Mutia Fauzia | Editor: Diamanty Meiliana, Bagus Santosa)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2022/05/09/13260091/kemenkes-total-ada-4-kasus-yang-diduga-hepatitis-akut.

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2022/05/09/18473711/menkes-hepatitis-akut-yang-serang-anak-anak-menular-lewat-asupan-makanan.