Ministry investigating possible outbreak of legionella bacteria in Bali

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 01/19/2011 9:52 PM | Archipelago

The Health Ministry is investigating a possible outbreak of legionella, a strain of bacteria that can cause Legionaries disease, in Bali, an official says.

“A team just arrived from Bali this morning and will check the samples in our laboratory in Yogyakarta. The results might be available a week from now,” Director General for Disease Control and Environmental Health Tjandra Yoga Aditama said Wednesday  as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

The Health Agency has disinfected two locations that may have been exposed to the bacteria, he said.

Legionella bacteria can cause Legionellosis, which can refer to two syndromes: Legionnaires disease, which often manifests as severe pneumonia, and Pontiac fever, according to the website eMedicine.

Tjandra said that the Australian Health Ministry had contacted its Indonesian counterpart to discuss the possibility of an outbreak.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that there have been 10 confirmed Australian cases of Legionnaires' Disease connected with the central Kuta area in Bali since August 2010

Police investigating Palu journalists attack

Dina Indrasafti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/31/2010 2:13 PM | National

The police say officers are currently investigating the assault of several reporters after the Independent Journalist's Association (AJI) office in Palu, Central Sulawesi, was attacked on Thursday.

"The investigation has been underway. We have questioned 6 witnesses and conducted interrogations. The officers are going after a youth group but we haven't determined individual identities," National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said in Jakarta on Friday.

Investigators took into evidence the physical examination results of the four reporters who were assaulted in the incident, Boy said.

According to Boy, a group of almost two dozen men clad in local youth group uniforms attacked the AJI office on Thursday after an unfavorable story about the National Youth Committee (KNPI) was published.

Mexico investigating deadly oil pipeline explosion

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 12/21/2010 8:50 AM | World

Mexican officials say investigators have begun probing a massive oil pipeline explosion that killed 28 people.

Valentin Meneses is interior secretary for the state of Puebla, where the blast took place in the town of San Martin Texmelucan.

Meneses says a commission has been formed in tandem with state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos to investigate.

He said Monday that 32 homes were completely destroyed and 83 partially damaged by the blast.

Authorities say thieves attempting to siphon crude caused a leak in the pipeline, and the spilled oil was later ignited by a spark from an unknown source.