A week after Singapore reported its first case of locally transmitted Zika infection, local scientists say they have completed genetic sequencing of the virus.
Advertisement
In a statement, Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 61-year-old patient is now warded at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.
In recent weeks, USA authorities determined that local mosquitoes were transmitting Zika in an area of south Florida, while the US territory of Puerto Rico has experienced a widespread outbreak.
Dr Noor Hisham said the man, of Dusun-descent, was from Taman Public Jaya, Likas.
The patient also has other co-morbidities, namely he was suffering from high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones and gout.
He said the patient first showed symptoms of a fever on August 27 and received initial treatment at the Luyang Health Clinic on August 3.
Burma’s Ministry of Health said that since the Zika epidemic began in Brazil in 2015, they have been taking precautionary measures in the country and screening passengers for fever when arriving at airports and ports.
Dr Noor Hisham cautioned that since the Zika virus had been detected in this country, Zika case is expected to increase further, especially if prevention activities for Aedes were not seriously taken up by the community, individuals and other relevant agencies.
The Florida Department of Health has reported 47 non-travel related Zika cases in the state, with the Miami area being classified as a mosquito transmission region.
Noor Hisham said the ministry had embarked on vector control activities around the patient’s residential area as well as other places which he had visited.
Ten Malaysians living and working in the republic have been diagnosed with the disease, while the 11th patient is someone who works in Singapore but resides in Johor.
Regionally, the Zika outbreak has also been reported in Thailand and Malaysia.
Advertisement
This comes two days after the first case on Malaysian soil was reported in a woman who is believed to have contracted it while visiting her daughter in neighbouring Singapore.
