Seputarkarawang.com - Karawang, The Karawang Regency Health Service (Dinkes) has officially raised its alert status regarding the potential spread of Hantavirus following reports of cases in several areas of West Java. Even though no positive cases have been found in Karawang to date, early anticipatory steps have been taken to mitigate the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases originating from rodents so that they do not spread to residential areas.Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) at the Karawang Health Office, Yayuk Sri Rahayu, explained that Hantavirus is transmitted through contaminated rat urine, feces and saliva. Transmission to humans often occurs accidentally through inhaled dust containing rat feces particles. Therefore, maintaining environmental sanitation and home cleanliness is the main defense in preventing the emergence of this deadly virus.Medically, Hantavirus has two dangerous clinical manifestations, namely Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) which attacks the kidneys and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) which attacks the lungs. Yayuk warned that the HPS variant has a very high fatality rate, reaching 60 percent. Initial symptoms include fever, cough, and severe shortness of breath, which often resemble the symptoms of other acute respiratory infections.
Until now, there is no specific drug or specific vaccine available to cure Hantavirus infection. The medical treatment available at hospitals and health centers is still supportive to relieve the patient's symptoms. Considering that the incubation period is quite long, between one and eight weeks, laboratory examinations using PCR and sequencing methods are very crucial if residents are found with suspicious clinical indications.As a form of follow-up to the Ministry of Health's circular letter, the Karawang Health Office is now focusing its supervision on monitoring ISPA and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) cases in all health facilities. The surveillance system was tightened to detect early any patient showing unusually severe respiratory symptoms. It is hoped that this step will provide early detection before the virus spreads more widely in society.In addition to medical supervision, the public is advised to consistently implement a clean and healthy lifestyle (PHBS) and CERDIK principles. The Health Department advises residents to immediately go for an examination to the nearest health facility if they experience a high fever accompanied by muscle pain or shortness of breath. Public awareness in reporting symptoms as early as possible is the key to Karawang's success in maintaining the status of zero Hantavirus cases in the future.
