Johor married couple free of Zika virus
Published on: Thursday, September 22, 2016
Johor: A married couple who was infected with the Zika virus in the state has been confirmed free of the virus, said Chairman of the State Health and Environment Committee, Datuk Ayub Rahmat. He added that blood and urine tests conducted on them proved negative for the virus.Earlier, Head of the Vector-Borne Disease Control Unit in the State Health Department, Dr Roslinda A Rahman said the couple was allowed to go home last week."In the case of the woman who was pregnant, the midwifery experts will monitor her condition and that of her baby.
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She has also been advised to go for fortnightly checks to monitor the development of her baby," she told reporters after a briefing on the search-and-destroy operations, here Wednesday.Dr Roslinda said to date, 62 of the 64 cases examined for suspected Zika virus infection has been found to be negative. "At present, those who go to health clinics and hospitals with rashes, conjunctivitis, and fever, we will suspect them of being a Zika case even though they had not gone to Singapore."We will observe, analyse and send their blood and urine samples to determine the presence of the Zika virus, and they will be warded for observation, until we find them negative, then we will discharge them," said Dr Roslinda.
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Meanwhile, the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) will conduct the search-and-destroy 2.0 operation with the help of the State Health Department on Sept 24, in an effort to control the spread of the Aedes mosquito.MBJB Health Director Dr Rahim Tumin said the operation which would be carried out simultaneously throughout the MBJB district, covering an area of 330 square kilometres with about 700,000 residents, would involve about 100 personnel from the council and health department.
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As of Sept 10, there have been 3,512 dengue fever cases in MBJB district compared to 3,542 during the same period last year. Meanwhile, Asean will move as a region in addressing the Zika virus as agreed in the Asean Declaration on Zika.Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam said Asean health ministers had agreed on the declaration during a video conferencing on Monday to enhance the preparedness and response to Zika virus disease as well as other emerging and re-emerging diseases by implementing several strategies and measures for health security."During the video conference, all the Asean Health Ministers shared situations in their respective countries, and the steps taken by each country to tackle the problem," he told a news conference.Dr Subramaniam said confirmed Zika cases in Malaysia remained at six.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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