Our first Zika virus case
Published on: Friday, September 02, 2016
Putra Jaya: Malaysia on Thursday reported its first case of Zika virus infection. A woman in Klang, Selangor, tested positive for the disease a week after her return from Singapore on Aug 21, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam. Singapore has so far confirmed 115 cases of Zika virus infection.
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Subramaniam said the 58-year-old woman who lives in Bandar Botanic had sought treatment at a private clinic in Klang when she suffered from rash a week after returning from Singapore. The woman was referred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital and a urine test confirmed she was infected with the Zika virus, he said.He said she was undergoing treatment at the hospital, and was now in a state of rehabilitation. Subramaniam said checks revealed that the woman's daughter who lives in Singapore had contracted the disease.
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He also said Singapore had recorded 115 cases of the disease, and that five of the cases were Malaysians believed to be working in the republic. He said the Ministry had implemented vector-control measures in the home of the woman and the places she had visited.
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These included destruction of Aedes mosquito breeding grounds, larviciding and fogging, he added. "We have also conducted checks and are monitoring the people with whom the woman has come into contact with to find out whether they have also developed symptoms of the disease," he said. Asked whether the Ministry would issue an advisory on travel to Singapore, Subramaniam said there was no necessity for that as it would have other implications. "About 200,000 Malaysians travel to and from Singapore daily. They have been advised to take preventive measures, including applying mosquito repellents as often as possible," he said. He said Malaysians driving to and from Singapore had been advised to spray mosquito repellents in their vehicles to prevent the insects from being inadvertently brought into Malaysia. "We have also advised pregnant women to seek clarification from medical specialists as the disease posed a high risk to their babies," he said. Subramaniam said there were at least 16 medical centres of the ministry nationwide, besides the private laboratories, with facilities to detect the Zika virus. Half of the Zika cases in Singapore are foreigners who live or work here and six of them are Malaysians. The Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) said that out of 115 cases, 57 are foreigners. The largest group is 23 people from China, followed by 15 from India and 10 from Bangladesh. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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