Health Ministry steps up Zika checks after first infection

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has stepped up vector control activities in areas where a 58-year-old woman confirmed to have been infected with the Zika virus had visited.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the places the woman had visited between Aug 21 and 28 were also being checked.

“Control activities include eliminating Aedes mosquito breeding sites, larvaciding and fogging.

“In addition, close contacts to the patient will be examined whether they have any fever or other Zika symptoms,” he told a press conference on Thursday.

 

The woman from Bandar Botanic in Klang is believed to have contracted the virus when she visited her daughter in Singapore from Aug 19 to 21. Her daughter is also confirmed to have been infected with the virus.

The woman is said to have visited several areas in Klang and Kuala Lumpur after returning from Singapore.

Dr Subramaniam said that the woman’s other family members living in the same house as her were also being closely monitored, though they had yet to exhibit any symptoms of Zika infection.

“Due to the rapid spread of Zika virus infection, Aedes monitoring and preventive activities are continuously performed and intensified in all states, especially in the state of Johor and Selangor,” he added.