PETALING JAYA: There have been three reported deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the first seven months of this year.
Two cases were in Sarawak while one was from Perak, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday.
The ministry said that a total of 15 cases were reported from January to July 13 nationwide. Of the total, four were detected in Sabah.
Hisham said the matter was closely being monitored by the Health Ministry and state Health Departments.
“There is no increase in the number of cases as the number of reported cases during the same period in 2018 in Sabah was five,” he said.
On July 16, Tambunan State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Junz Wong said Health Department officials in Sabah had detected the virus in a pig farm at Kampung Lubang, Tambunan the previous day.
JE is a type of viral brain infection that can affect both humans and animals. It can be passed on to humans by infected animals through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito.
