Dessy Sagita & Ismira Lutfia – Doctors on Friday urged the public and the government not to panic over the swine flu issue, and not to ignore more urgent health issues such as dengue fever, which kills thousands of Indonesians every year.

Leonard Nainggolan, an expert on infections and tropical diseases at the state-run Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, on Friday said that the public scare over the influenza outbreak should not overshadow other health issues.

"Swine flu is a serious issue, but it's not even here yet. But dengue fever is here and we're facing it right now," he said. Indonesia needs to learn from its experience in dealing with bird flu, which has killed 119 people since 2003, Nainggolan said.

The 1 percent fatality rate for dengue fever pales in comparison to the 80 percent to 90 percent fatality rate for bird flu, but dengue still kills about 1,200 people per year, Nainggolan said. "The fatality figures for dengue fever in our country are high, so we can't ignore the problem," he said.

The government should not reallocate funds set aside to help manage the threat from bird flu or other health problems in favor of directing more money into efforts to contain swine flu, he said. "We should just focus on what we're facing," he said. "We shouldn't waste resources on something that isn't even here yet."

Agus, a microbiology professor at the University of Indonesia, said that the incubation of the swine flu virus, or H1N1 influenza, is only between one and four days. He said that if infected people do not get sick within that time frame, they are unlikely to pass the virus to others.

Agus said there was always the possibility that H1N1 could become a problem in Indonesia, despite claims by some that the virus has a low survival rate in the tropical country.

He said that the virus has been proven to pass between people and human body temperatures are relatively similar regardless of climate, so the threat is real. "Once a person is infected, it can pass to other people – even in a tropical country like Indonesia," he said.

The government, he said, should focus more on raising public awareness about swine flu, rather than spending money to stock up on drugs such as Tamiflu. "Not every case of bird or swine flu needs to be treated with [Tamiflu] – it varies from case to case," he said.

The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, issued a notice on Tuesday advising Indonesian citizens to be cautious when traveling to and from Mexico or other affected countries.

"We advise Indonesians to avoid or reschedule nonessential travel to Mexico," ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said on Friday, adding that the government would refer to recommendations by the World Health Organization before issuing any further travel warnings.

A number of foreigners from affected countries may arrive in Indonesia for two events this month – the World Ocean Conference in Manado, North Sulawesi, and the annual meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank in Bali.

Teuku said that the events would take place as scheduled, and that the immigration authorities would take responsibility for monitoring the health of foreigners entering the country.

The Indonesian Embassy in Mexico City has temporarily halted consular services and is currently unable to issue visas because activity in the Mexican capital is currently restricted, Teuku said.