The mysterious disease that reportedly infected five Balinese children who were showing symptoms of encephalitis (swelling of the brain) this week in northwest Bali has been identified as an arbovirus, according to the managing director of Negara Hospital.
Well four out of five, Negara Hospital’s managing director, Dr. I Made Dwipayana, clarified to Tribun Bali. Four kids who were admitted to the hospital were diagnosed as having an arbovirus, whereas the fifth kid who was showing similar symptoms seems to have meningitis. Blood results were sent to Denpasar for analysis because of Negara’s limited resources, says Dwipayana.
Sadly, one of the five patients, Rahmadatul Aulia, 7, is still unconscious (has been since yesterday) and is undergoing treatment in Negara Hospital. But the other patients are in recovery, according to Dwipayana.
Dwipayana says the arbovirus is spread by insects like mosquitoes, which are quite bountiful at the moment with Bali’s rainy season. Animals are also prone to the disease and cages should be cleaned regularly to not attract mosquitoes, he explained.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
