PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry today confirmed that three cases of rotavirus infection has been detected in Kedah.
The three children were from an original group of seven who had suffered acute gastroenteritis (AGE).
All the children fell ill after visiting a water park in Bukit Merah on Sept 24 and began showing signs of the virus since Sept 26.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the three rotavirus patients are being treated at the Kulim Hospital, Kedah.
They are in stable condition, as well as the other four.
All of them are aged between 11 months and 10-years-old.
Dr Noor Hisham said two AGE cases were also recorded in Penang. The children, aged between three and five, are not from the same family.
“All these cases have a history of visiting the resort on Sept 24 and have showed signs of the virus since Sept 26.
“We have informed all states on the incident and they have been asked to beef up monitoring of AGE case this week," he added.
AGE is a sudden onset of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps usually caused by the rotavirus.
Dr Noor Hisham also noted that the cousins of the two children in Penang who were infected by the virus, did not show any signs of illness despite also visiting the recreational park.
Rotavirus is the main cause of severe diarrhoea among children, particularly those aged six months to three years, he said.
“The virus easily infects children through food, water and environmental contamination due to unhygienic and unsanitary environments.
“The infection causes severe diarrhoea, resulting in dehydration that can be fatal,” he said.
In this light, Dr Noor Hisham said parents are advised not to send their kids to pre-school, kindergarten, schools or swimming pools if their children are suffering from diarrhoea. This, he said, is to avoid the spread of the virus.
“Wash your hands with soap and water properly after handling children with AGE before preparing food or attending to other kids,” he said.
He said the ministry is still conducting investigations on the incident and monitoring developments.
“Private medical practitioners are also urged to report all cases of diarrhoea - especially patients with a history of visiting the park - to the nearest health office.