Indonesia battles dengue fever
From CNN Producer Kathy Quiano
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia is battling an early outbreak of dengue fever with health officials reporting 189 deaths so far this year.
The country has about 9,500 cases of the disease, which does not usually spread until later in the year.
Fumigation has begun around the country to kill the mosquitoes that carry the disease, Dr. Umar Fahmi Achmadi, Director General for Contagious Disease Control and Environmental Sanitation, said.
Achmadi has requested additional government funding to pay for the effort.
Because of the early outbreak of the disease, Achmadi said tests are being run to determine if this is a new subtype.
In 2003, the country had about 50,000 cases of the illness.
