Thermal scanners only at the airports: Dept

Kota Kinabalu: State Health Director Dr Christina Rundi said the present thermal scanner - an early detection system for influenza-like illness - is always active in Sabah. In reply to an opposition call to set up screening machines at all entry points in Sabah, Rundi said the scanners are only placed in international airports.

"So in Sabah, only Kota Kinabalu International Airport (Terminal One and Two)," she said, Friday.

"Actually, the World Health Organisation said there is no need to do screening anymore but we already have such facilities since the H1N1 outbreak in 2009," she said.

Rundi, meanwhile, said there have been no new cases of the H7N9 virus spreading to more humans to date.

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Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government continued its momentum in managing the economy in line with the commitment and spirit of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) when it posted record high state revenue of RM6.973 billion last year.

A proposal to install thermal scanners at all entry points to Sabah was made by PKR's Moyog Assemblyman, Terrence Siambun, on Thursday, in the wake of the country's first H7N9 case in Sabah.

The case involved a 67-year-old female tourist from Guangdong, China who arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 4 and went to Sandakan the following day, before coming to Kota Kinabalu on Feb. 6.

She was referred to a private medical centre here and was found positive for the H7N9 virus on Feb. 12 after two screenings.

And despite noting that H7N9 can only be spread between poultry to human and not human to human, Siambun believes prevention is better than cure, suggesting thermal scanners should be placed at entry points permanently.

On Thursday, in a move to control the outbreak, the Health Department increased the number of screening clinics from eight to 12, while it upgraded the current laboratory to detect the H7 virus.

Meanwhile, rumours have been circulating that reality-television Akademi Fantasia star Stacy Angie Anam is currently being treated for the Influenza A virus (H1N1) virus.

It was learnt she stated this through her personal Twitter account and that she was infected as she was about to perform in the peninsula.

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A doctor confirmed that she had contracted the virus and went for a blood test in Subang and was asked to return for further treatments.

Dr Rundi said doctors here would not be able to confirm whether she has H1N1, adding that if the infection on her was not serious, "she can still take medicine and rest at home."

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