ALOR STAR: Two more children who visited the Bukit Merah Laketown Waterpark in Perak have developed rotavirus symptoms, including diarrhoea and vomiting, bringing the total number of cases to nine within the past four days.
The Kedah Health Department said the two children, both a year old, were admitted to the Kulim and Jitra hospitals respectively yesterday.
The department’s director, Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail, said the department has yet to receive lab test results on the children, hence they are not yet confirming that the tots have the virus – unlike seven other children, aged between 11 months and 10, who were admitted to Kulim Hospital and a private hospital in Sungai Petani, since Sept 26.
However, he said that apart from the similar symptoms, all nine children had visited the waterpark on Sept 24 before falling sick.
“The duo, together with the seven other children, is currently reported to be in stable condition.
“We have reported this incident to the Perak Health Department for further investigation,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
According to Dr Norhizan, rotavirus is a type of virus that infects the bowels and stomach, usually attacking children aged five and below.
Among rotavirus symptoms are diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, as well as stomach ache, and those infected could suffer acute dehydration resulting in death due to late treatment.
He said the virus could be transmitted from infected people to others by touch or through the consumption of contaminated objects, food and drink.