Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - The administration of Yogyakarta city has established a Zoonosis Control Commission in an effort to anticipate and control diseases transmitted by animals.

"The commission will work under a Mayor Regulation Number 36/2016 to anticipate zoonosis," the Head of the Disease Control Section at the Yogyakarta Health Office, Endang Sri Rahayu, said here on Thursday.

Zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to human beings.

The establishment of the commission involves other task forces, such as the Regional Disaster Management, the Environment Board, the Industry Trade Cooperative and Agriculture Office, the Education Office and the Tourism and Culture Office.

Each institution has a specific function and authority to support the efforts involved in anticipating and controlling zoonosis.

"For instance, the Environment Board is handling waste to avoid diseases, while the Industry Trade Cooperative and Agriculture Office is managing disease-carrier animals," Endang remarked.

Endang noted that several diseases that are included in zoonosis, among others are rabies, leptospirosis and dengue fever.

She explained that the Zoonosis Control Commission has a number of tasks, including setting up standard operational procedures for controlling diseases and their transmission, collecting funds from the central and local government, as well as the ones from foreign institutions.

The number of dengue fever cases in Yogyakarta has reached 862.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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