At least 40 new Zika suspects in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has identified at least 40 new suspects nationwide believed to have contracted the Zika virus.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said all these suspected individuals and any potential new patients will undergo blood tests to determine if they test positive for the Zika virus or otherwise.
"We are still doing the tests through the participation of more private and government laboratories, but we have requested that all Zika positive confirmation be finalised by the Medical Research Institute (IMR) as there are certain standards to follow.
"Once we get the confirmation from IMR then we will announce it to the public if there are any new cases of Zika in the country," he said after officiating the MIC Gallery in conjunction with the party's 70th anniversary.
Asked about the Zika virus strain in Malaysia, Subramaniam said his ministry could not conclude yet if the four cases detected so far are locally transmitted or imported.
"Despite not knowing the strain, the immunity for it remains the same," he added.
Subramaniam was also asked to respond to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report that close to 30% of Malaysia's population would be immune to the virus since a Zika pandemic happened in Malaysia in the 1960s.
"This can only be determined after a major community-level blood screening for antibody levels is conducted," he said.
"However, since we have not conducted such an exercise yet, it is hard for us to conclude anything. But since the virus had existed in our country before in the late 60s, there could be a possibility that some Malaysians may have developed some immunity towards it.
"Hence, the WHO statement can only be verified after we conduct proper studies. But scientific facts say that if someone had contracted the Zika virus before then that individual would not get the virus again because the transmission is reduced," he explained.
Meanwhile, in IPOH, Perak Tourism committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said there would be some kind of negative effect on the tourism industry in the state due to the Zika virus infection.
"It is not confined to Perak but is a worldwide issue. It is not possible to solve it completely but the state has taken several steps to tackle the disease," she told reporters at the distribution of sacrificial meat to residents at Masjid Muhammadiah (Chinese Muslim Mosque) In Taman Tasek Jaya today.
"Visitors and tourists will be worried ... the authorities will monitor all entry points in the state and explain the issue to them to reduce their anxiety," she added.
Perak has declared 2017 as "Visit Perak Year".
The health authorities are monitoring passengers arriving from Singapore at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport which handles direct flights from the republic to Ipoh.
Express bus operators had been asked to spray insecticide 30 minutes before passengers board the bus and also hand out health alert cards.