"On average 1,000 people suffer from upper respiratory tract infection every month. The highest number of sufferers reached 1,427 in March," the head of the surveillance and immunization section at the Wonosari district health service, Dwi Prasetyono said here on Monday.
However, none of the sufferers died although many of them had acute upper respiratory tract infection, he said.
"Acute upper respiratory tract infection is quite risky because it disturbs respiration but it does not lead to death. Virus is the cause of the disease, with symptoms covering difficult breathing, coughing, and flu," he said.
"Upper respiratory tract infection is a gateway for other dangerous diseases, including sore throat," he said.
He said Gunung Kidul was among the districts having the high number of upper tract respiratory infection sufferers.
"In Gunung Kidul, upper tract respiratory infection mostly affect people living in Semin, Ponjong and Karangmojo subdistricts. Bad sanitation is to blame for the spread of the disease," he said.
He said the disease had the potential to spread during the period of transition from the rainy to dry seasons.
(Uu.S012/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
