[From a Jakarta Post editorial titled "Don't repeat mistakes".]

Jakarta – In the past few weeks, health authorities have been puzzled by a mysterious strain of hepatitis popping up among children in several parts of the country since the first suspected cases were detected late last month in Jakarta.

By Friday, Indonesia had reported one probable case and 17 suspected cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin – including seven suspected hepatitis-linked deaths – in seven provinces. Most of the suspected cases were found in children aged 14 and below. Seven of the 17 suspected cases were considered "discarded" because their clinical presentations showed other explanations, such as having tested positive for hepatitis A or B or the patients were above 16 years of age.

The Health Ministry has been communicating with the World Health Organization and health authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom to stay informed about the disease, which was first detected in the UK.

The full text of the editorial can be read here: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2022/05/17/dont-repeat-mistakes.html