One of the warning posters to inform the public about malaria outbreak put up along roads in Sungai Lui.
THE Hulu Langat District Health Office (Hulu Langat KKM) is urging visitors to the rustic village of Sungai Lui in Selangor to take protection measures against malaria following an outbreak at an Orang Asli village in May this year.
This measure is to help in the prevention of mosquito bites, which is how the disease is spread.
Though the outbreak was successfully controlled and declared ended on July 21, posters on preventive steps and symptoms of the disease are left on display along Jalan Sungai Lui.
Area village heads who were interviewed said the source of the outbreak was from Kampung Orang Asli Paya Lebar.
It is a Temuan settlement of 58 houses with a population of 200 at Batu 23.
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The village is located near Gunung Hitam, a popular hiking trail.
According to Paya Lebar resident Ewah Campak, 48, it all began when he came down with fever followed by nausea, chills and pounding headaches.
Thinking it was nothing more serious than the common flu, he put up with the discomfort for a week, thinking he could sleep it off.
“I swallowed pills for the fever but once the effect of the medication wore off, I was feverish again,” said the general worker.
At that time, Ewah’s 10-year-old son, Zamri, also fell ill.
Fogging at the Orang Asli village during the malaria outbreak.
His mother Rohana Rahim, who did not want to take any chances, took him to the Ampang Hospital to seek treatment.
“There, a blood test revealed he had malaria. I too was taken to the same hospital and tested, that was when they found out that I had malaria too,” said Ewah.
Fortunately for father and son, both responded well to treatment and after several days, were discharged. Their medical fees were paid for by the Orang Asli Development Department.
In total, three cases of malaria were reported within the Temuan settlement.
The first case was a bachelor in his 30s, said the village Tok Batin Aning Embong, 70.
“The patient’s father told us that he could have contracted it at a worker’s quarters in Sungai Long, Kajang, where he was working,” said Aning.
Curbing an outbreak
Following the confirmation of cases in Paya Lebar, Mohd Razak Jalaludin, 56, village chief of Batu 21 Kampung Sungai Lui, said door-to-door fogging and blood screening were carried out for those residing within a 1km radius of the affected location.
“There was a meeting to garner the community’s help for the distribution of mosquito nettings and the hanging of banners,” said Mohd Razak.
Present at the meeting were also Orang Besar Hulu Langat Datuk Rosli Othman, district health officer Dr Zailiza Suli, a representative of Dusun Tua assemblyman Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz, residents representatives of Batu 23, Sungai Lui, the surau chairman, secretary as well as its committee members.
Mohd Razak said the last activity for the malaria prevention programme was carried out on July 14.
“Since then, we have not been informed of any rise in the number of cases.
“The banners, however, will stay up until further notice as a means to remind the public to take safety measures,” he added.
He also said that no deaths were reported in his area and all those who had fallen sick had now recovered and were back to work.
“Personally, I am not taking any chances. If I see any residents hanging around outdoors at dusk, I’d remind them to go indoors as this is when mosquitoes are most active,” said Mohd Razak.
Idris Ali, 65, who runs a floating restaurant in Kampung Gemi, just 350m from Paya Lebar, said he had taken to sleeping under a mosquito net given by the Hulu Langat KKM.
In Batu 20, village head Mohd Ramdan Kamso organised a gotong-royong to clean up rubbish in the compounds of some 20 houses following news of the malaria outbreak in Paya Lebar as items like cans, discarded tyres and packaging could hold stagnant water where mosquitoes could breed.
Going after a parasite
Selangor health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said from May to 21 July this year, a total of 13 malaria cases were reported in the Hulu Langat district, whereby nine were related to the Kampung Paya Lebar outbreak.
“Mass blood surveys and active case detection were carried out within the locality, where a total of 2,968 blood films to look for the malaria parasite were done within five days.
“Indoor residual spraying, distribution of insecticide treated nets and mosquito repellent involving houses and premises within the locality were carried out in tandem with the blood screenings,” she said.
“Community health education activities via briefings and talks were also carried out to raise awareness about malaria infection.”
Jamaliah said the Selangor Health Department also called for more educational activities to be provided by health volunteer team, Sukarelawan Kesihatan Komuniti Selangor (Suka), which was established in each state constituency.
“If residents have symptoms, they must go to the nearest health clinic,” Jamaliah advised. — By GRACE CHEN
