Jakarta – According to the Ministry of Health’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, nine cases of acute hepatitis in Indonesia are classed as “pending” under World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
“Currently, the nine cases, according to WHO criteria, are classed as pending because we are still waiting for the results of the hepatitis E examination,” Tarmizi said on Friday during a webinar titled “Protect Children from Acute Hepatitis.”
The nine cases were classed as pending because the Indonesian government was still expecting the results of further hepatitis E testing on the tested suspects.
Other viruses that might cause acute hepatitis, including the severe symptoms experienced by the patients, are still being studied and observed by the government and WHO.
“We will simply have to wait. We might obtain the results in the following seven days at the most “she explained
Tarmizi stated that there are currently 18 suspects of acute hepatitis with severe symptoms in Indonesia, all of whom are known not to have hepatitis A, B, C, or D.
Meanwhile, seven additional suspects have been cleared of acute hepatitis, while two more are being investigated. Two of the seven reported deaths were not classed as acute hepatitis.
Furthermore, the ministry continues to study the progression of acute hepatitis to determine whether transmission can occur among adults.
According to the spokesman, not all locations in Indonesia had recorded occurrences of acute hepatitis with severe symptoms. However, if a family member develops jaundice, which is one of the indications of severe hepatitis, all parties are obliged to be more vigilant.
She also underlined the need of adopting a healthy lifestyle, recognizing the symptoms of acute hepatitis, and receiving quick medical attention to avoid the worst-case scenario of death in families, particularly children.