Health Ministry increases surveilance for Zika

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has increased surveillance at the country's entry points in Johor Baru after a Malaysian woman in Singapore was found to be infected with the virus.
"We are working closely with our counterpart in Singapore to understand the situation and we are keeping ourselves updated on this first Zika case.
"This will help in the prevention and containment of the virus in both countries," Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement today in relation to the 47-year-old Malaysian woman living in Singapore who was diagnosed with the virus.
In addition to surveillance, flyers with information on the spread of Zika is being handed out at the country's entry points and paramedics are stationed there for further action should there be anyone with the symptoms found entering Malaysia.
"As the same virus carrier vector, Aedes mosquito exists in Malaysia, it can also happen here, especially if Malaysians go to countries that have Zika incidences and have not taken precautionary measures first," he said.
Noor Hisham said since February, the ministry has increased its monitoring and prevention efforts at all international entry points in Malaysia for both, foreigners and Malaysians who are returning from countries with Zika cases.
"This includes land entry points for our neighbouring countries. For visitors coming from countries that have Zika virus, a Health Alert card will be given as a guide detailing what should be done if the person exhibits signs and symptoms of Zika," he said.
From January to August this year, more than two million people from 155 countries have been screened at Malaysia's entry points including air, sea and land entry points.
"We are also monitoring Zika infections through lab surveillance that is done continuously by the National Public Health Laboratory and the Medical Research Institute. From June 2015 until Aug 26 this year, 784 blood samples from patients showing some Zika symptoms were tested. So far all the results were negative."
Zika causes a viral fever with rashes, body ache, headache and can cause microcephaly in the unborn foetuses of pregnant women.