The Star 3 Sep 16;
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has recorded its second case of Zika infection.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the patient is a 61-year-old Dusun male from Taman Public Jaya Likas, Sabah.
He said the case is also the first locally-transmitted Zika infection in the country.
“The Health Ministry is investigating further the patient’s recent travelling history. It was found that this Zika infection is most likely from a local source of infection, as the patient did not have any recent travelling history abroad and was probably been bitten by an Aedes mosquito infected with Zika,” said Dr Noor Hisham in a statement on Saturday.
The patient developed a fever on Aug 27 and sought medical attention for the first time at the Luyang Health Clinic on Aug 30.
The man sought further treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 the next day when he experienced worsening fever, muscle aches and diarrhoea.
Vehicles must be sprayed with insect repellent when exiting Singapore, says Health Exco
The Star 3 Sep 16;
JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Health Department will take various measures to curb the spread of Zika infection, including requiring all vehicles leaving and entering Singapore to be sprayed with mosquito repellent.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman, Datuk Ayub Rahmat said these measures were necessary in view of the sharp increase in Zika infections in the republic as Johor was frequented by Singaporeans.
"The vehicles we are referring to include lorries, public buses, school buses, private cars and trains. This is to ensure that no mosquitoes with the virus are brought into the country via the vehicles," he said in a statement.
Ayub said the local authorities and district officers had also been instructed to focus on cleanliness in the areas frequented by Singaporeans including open eating places or restaurants, open recreational and entertainment areas, farmers' markets, wholesale markets and so on.
Ayub said the state Health Department had been asked to intensify enforcement operations on individual premises and construction sites in all areas near the entry points and housing areas with a high percentage of residents working in Singapore until the Zika epidemic there was under control.
"The state government will monitor all action plans and the special meeting will be held again on Sept 29 to review the effectiveness of these strategies," he said.
Ayub said the committee viewed the Zika viral infection among Singaporeans as serious as many frequented Johor while 200,000 to 300,000 locals travelled to the republic each day to work.
He said, based on the number, the people of Johor were vulnerable to the viral infection if drastic steps were not taken to destroy the vector which transmits the Zika virus, the Aedes mosquito.
He said cleaning-up of the surroundings should also be intensified in the coming two to three months so that the Aedes Index could be kept at the lowest level of less than one per cent. -Bernama
Tourism industry not affected by Zika
BERNAMA New Straits Times 3 Sep 16;
KEMAMAN: The tourism industry, so far, has not been affected by the country’s first confirmed case of the Zika virus, said Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
She was confident that the increase in health monitoring and screenings carried out by the Health Ministry at all entry points into the country would be able to curb the spread of the virus.
“The overall number of tourist arrivals to the country this year shows an increase.
However, due to the Zika issue, the Tourism Ministry will enhance cooperation with the Health Ministry and take precautionary measures to monitor foreign tourists visiting the country.
“We also advise tourists to keep in touch with the Health Ministry and the Tourism Ministry if they notice any of the symptoms associated with the Zika virus for immediate medical treatment,” she told reporters after officiating the Kemaman UMNO Wanita, Puteri and Youth delegates meeting here today.
Present were Kemaman UMNO division deputy chief and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Kemaman UMNO division Wanita chief Datuk Rohani Abdullah, Kemaman UMNO division Youth chief Ahmad Fikry Ibrahim and Kemaman UMNO division Puteri chief Shaheda Jusoh.
Last Thursday the Health Ministry confirmed that a 58-year-old woman from Bandar Botanic, Klang, Selangor was the first known case of Zika virus infection in the country after visiting her daughter in Singapore, who was also confirmed to have contracted the disease.
The woman who visited Singapore for three days beginning Aug 19 experienced a rash and fever. --BERNAMA
