Two-year-old boy dies from suspected diphtheria, seven others hospitalised

ALOR SETAR: A two-year-old boy from Kuala Muda has died from suspected diphtheria Wednesday, while seven other children, including a foreigner, have been warded at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for further observation here.

"Seven children from a family in Kuala Muda, aged between two months to 11 years, were admitted to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) on Tuesday for suspected diphtheria, said Kedah Health Department director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail (pic).

"The two-year-old boy was admitted to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital on Tuesday before he was transferred to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar, where he died on June 22," he said.

Dr Norhizan added that three of the deceased boy's siblings had also not been immunised for diphtheria.

He said the youngest victim, a 10-month-old baby boy, has been warded at the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

"He is in critical condition and under close supervisions," he said.

Dr Norhizan said another suspected diphtheria case was recorded at Taman Nilam, Langkawi, involving a six-year old foreign boy.

"He is presently in stable condition and under observation at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital. He also did not receive any immunisation for diphtheria," he said.

Dr Norhizan added that they were awaiting lab results for all eight suspected diphtheria cases from the Health Ministry's Institute For Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur.