Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia on Wednesday reported its first case of a pregnant woman with Zika – a resident of a Malaysian state bordering Singapore where authorities are grappling with scores of cases. Almost 200,000 Malaysians commute daily from Johor to Singapore.
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He also noted that if the lives of infected pregnant women are threatened, they can have abortion, but he said doctors should take decision in a “case by case” manner.
Subramaniam said Malaysia was expecting to see more cases in Johor Bahru because of its closeness to Singapore.
But he could not say definitively if the woman contracted the virus from her husband or locally, as results from tests done on the husband are not out yet.
“The first reported case was an imported case from Singapore while the second and third cases are locally transmitted cases reported in Sabah and Johor”, continues the press statement which added that there were 30 reported cases from Sept 1-6 this year with similar signs and symptoms of Zika but all were found to be negative when tested for Zika infection.
The Malaysian minister added that a wide area around the pennant’s home has been inspected and fogged with mosquito-killing chemicals. The mother of the patient who is a close contact to this patient would also be screened; however thus far she has no symptoms of Zika. Members of the public have been urged to eliminate mosquito breeding sites such as stagnant water.
The Zika virus, which has spread rapidly in recent months, can be sexually transmitted or spread via mosquitos. It has been detected in 67 countries and territories including hard-hit Brazil.
The virus was first detected in Brazil past year and has since been spreading to more than 30 countries, particularly in South America.
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Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly in the foetus, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized, besides other brain abnormalities. The outbreak of Zika remains an worldwide health emergency, the Who says.
