UNAIR NEWS – Virus Zika has potential to infect Indonesian. It was stated by the President Director of UNAIR Medical Science Institute Prof. Dr. Nasronuddin, dr., Sp.PD-KPTI. on Monday, February 1 in his room at UNAIR Hospital.
Similar geographic characteristics with Brazil and other South American countries can be a factor of viral infection. Brazil and other tropical countries in South America nowadays are fighting with Zika virus.
“The virus is close with dengue and chikungunya virus often found in Indonesia. The mosquitoes as the carrier vector of this virus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus also easily found in Indonesia,” said the man born in Ponorogo explaining further on the viral infection possibilities in Indonesia.
FK UNAIR professor also said that Eijkman Institute in Jakarta detected the virus in Jambi last year. He encouraged the people to be wary of this virus.
“Indonesian needs to be wary of this, especially if there is a fever with a rash and conjunctivitis,” he said. He also encouraged people to check further in the hospital for the symptoms.
Mothers with pregnancy should be especially wary of this virus because it can disrupt the fetus brain growth (microcephaly) and cause decreased level of intelligence.
He encouraged mothers to look after their pregnancy especially in the first trimester as the phase of organs development. Furthermore, in his opinion, if there is Zika virus outbreak, he recommended Indonesian women to postpone pregnancy.
Being inquired on UNAIR Hospital readiness to treat patients with Zika virus, the man who is also UNAIR Hospital director said its readiness.
“UNAIR Hospital has facilities which are reliable, complete and optimal to ideal hospital. If there is Zika virus case, we will be ready,” he said.
Zika virus was first found from monkeys in Zika jungle, Uganda in 1947. The virus outbreak causes panic in Brazil and at global level as it infected many people. WHO has predicted at least four million people will be infected by the virus this year. (*)
Author: Yeano Andhika
