Johor says free of Zika cases so far

MUAR: The Johor government today dismissed a local radio report that the man who suffered from Zika in Sabah had contracted the disease in Johor.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said Johor was free of Zika virus infection as of Sept 3.

"As such, the Johor government denies that the Zika case in Sabah originated in Johor," he said when commenting on the radio report.

The 61-year-old man in Sabah died yesterday, but from heart complications.

Ayub spoke to reporters after officiating at the upgrading of the Triage building of the Emergency and Trauma Department of the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here.
Ayub said that as of Sept 3, the Johor Health Department recorded 10 suspected cases of Zika, four of which were confirmed to be negative and the six others were awaiting laboratory test reports.

He said two of the patients work in Singapore, one had contact with workers in Singapore and one had never gone to Singapore.
He said the Johor Health Department had implemented control and preventive measures in all areas suspected to be Aedes mosquito breeding places.

Ayub said the state government was talking to public transportation companies with services between Malaysia and Singapore on the use of the Aerosol spray in their vehicles before they entered Malaysia.

"Although some people question this move, we have to take proactive measures to check the spread of the Zika virus to Johor and Malaysia," he said.
He also said that the Johor Health Department and local authorities conducted checks and enforcement against Aedes breeding grounds in public areas such as the Larkin Bus Station, Pandan Uptown Wholesale Market, Gelang Patah North and South Rest & Service areas and Johor Farmers Market.

Checks and enforcement would be conducted at construction sites beginning Sept 7, he added.

Ayub said Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had instructed the committee to prepare a report on the contagious diseases brought by foreign workers to Malaysia.

"Workers from countries such as Indonesia, India and Myanmar had brought diseases almost unheard of for a long time in Malaysia, such as tuberculosis and malaria," he said.

He said the number of cases had not reached a serious stage but precautionary measures had to be taken all the same.

According to Johor Health Department statistics, last year Johor recorded 2,372 cases of tuberculosis compared to 2,290 in 2014. — Bernama