PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry today confirmed that a 30-year-old man from Perak has been infected with the Zika virus.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today that he was the first victim to be infected by the virus this year.
The man had been vomiting and had diarrhoea on Sept 26 and was admitted to hospital the following day, before being transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) on Sept 29, he added.
“The infection of the virus was registered with the Perak Health Department on Oct 12.
“The ministry’s disease control division confirmed the virus to be Zika.
“The patient is still warded and is stable,” he added.
With this case, the ministry has recorded a total of nine Zika infections, eight in 2016 alone, said Dr Noor Hisham.
Control measures have been carried out by the district Health Office such as aedes breeding inspection activities, Larvasiding to kill the larvae and issuing a Section 8 Notice to clean up high-risk breeding grounds,” he added.
Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry was constantly monitoring the Zika situation throughout the country through Zika operation rooms at Crisis Preparedness Response Centres (CPRC).
Though the Zika virus is not lethal, and usually causes light fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, with symptoms usually lasting under a week, the danger lies with a type of deformity that can affect babies of carriers.
It was reported that the Zika disease was linked to a foetal deformation known as microcephaly, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads
Malaysia recorded its first case of Zika infection after a 58-year-old woman in Bandar Botanic, Klang, was infected on Sep 1, 2016.
Two days later, Malaysia recorded its second Zika case when a 61-year-old man tested positive for the virus in Likas, Sabah. The man died the same day due to heart complications.