A nurse takes a blood donation at Army Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 15.

Since January, the Health Ministry has recorded 5,500 cases of dengue fever in at least 12 of the country's 33 provinces. The government has responded by launching a mosquito-eradication campaign, allocating $54,100 for medicine at state-run clinics and offering free medical care to the poorest patients, the paper said.

In some cases, blood transfusions are needed to help stop internal bleeding if the level of blood coagulating agents falls too far.

The Indonesian Red Cross said that the outbreak has caused demand for blood to jump by 70 percent on some days, resulting in shortages.

Dengue, characterized by high fever, headaches, aching joints and skin rashes, is common in tropical areas and endemic to parts of Asia and the Caribbean. No vaccine is available to cure the disease.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 100 million people worldwide are infected with dengue each year, and about 5 percent die.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 19, 2005
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