(Massive) dissemination (of information on the disease) is needed, considering that zoonotic diseases can also harm humans.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Speaker of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Bambang Soesatyo in a statement, Thursday, called on the Health Ministry to prevent outbreaks and immediately prepare measures to handle zoonotic diseases in the country.

Soesatyo made the statement in response to the Vietnamese Health Ministry’s report that found several infections in the initial months of 2023 of Streptococcus suis, an emerging zoonotic pathogen that can be transmitted from pigs to humans.

Hence, he also called on the Indonesian Health Ministry to stay alert to the local transmission of the disease since it is also found in Indonesia.

"I urged the Health Ministry to become more vigilant against this zoonotic disease because some patients had tested positive for Streptococcus suis," the MPR RI speaker stated.

In Vietnam, Streptococcus suis is the leading cause of human acute bacterial meningitis.

The authority in Vietnam said that most of the cases recently involved people eating pork products such as blood pudding, or those who slaughtered pigs.

Soesatyo has also called on the Health Ministry to educate the public regarding attempts to prevent the transmission of zoonotic diseases.

"(Massive) dissemination (of information on the disease) is needed, considering that zoonotic diseases can also harm humans," he remarked.

Earlier, Head of the Bali Provincial Health Office I Nyoman Gede Anom had stated that some cases of the meningitis outbreak that recently occurred in the province were caused by Streptococcus Suis.

At the end of April 2023, his side had recorded 38 cases of meningitis. The patients were treated at Sanjiwani Hospital, Negara Hospital, Prof. Ngoerah Hospital, and Bali Mandara Hospital.

However, Anom noted that not all patients suffered from Meningitis Streptococcus Suis (MSS) that can be caused by consuming undercooked pork.

"Currently, we are conducting epidemiological investigations to confirm the cases as well as to assess the epidemiological relationships of the cases and (each patient’s) history of exposure to risk factors," he added.

Humans can be infected with S. suis when they handle infected pig carcasses or meat, especially with exposed cuts and abrasions on their hands. Human infection can be severe, with meningitis, septicaemia or blood poisoning, endocarditis, and deafness as possible outcomes of infection.

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Translator: Tri Ameliya, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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