ALOR STAR: Three new rotavirus cases were reported today involving children aged between one and six at two hospitals in Kedah.
The three children had visited a water park at Bukit Merah on Sept 24 before coming down with diarrhoea and vomiting.
Kedah Health Department director Datuk Norhizan Ismail said two of them are warded at the Kuala Nerang Hospital while one is being warded at the Kulim Hospital.
He said the three children are in stable condition.
According to Norhizan, 13 people who were warded for the virus at four hospitals here since Sept 28 have been allowed to return home.
The three new cases bring the number of patients warded for rotavirus at hospitals in Kedah to eight, he said.
“Five of the patients are at Kulim Hospital, two at Kuala Nerang Hospital and one at Jitra Hospital. All of them are reported to be in stable condition,” he said in a statement today.
Rotavirus is a type of virus that infects the bowels and stomach, usually attacking children aged five and below where the symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, fever as well as stomach ache.
Those infected by the virus could suffer from acute dehydration resulting in death due to late treatment.
The virus could be transmitted from infected people to others by touching or consuming contaminated objects, food and drinks.