JOHOR BARU: The tuberculosis (TB) cluster in Johor, where 33 people tested positive, originated from a female senior citizen, says state health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon (pic).
He said the source of the cluster had been identified following aggressive contact tracing conducted by the Health Ministry.
“The source is known. The first contracted patient, or patient zero, is a 71-year-old woman.
“The situation is under control, so the public should not panic,” he said when contacted.
He also denied that the cluster originated from schools, as claimed by many social media users who also sparked calls for schools to be closed over fears of wider transmission.
Ling said the Health Ministry had conducted screening on 804 individuals as part of extensive contact tracing involving the patient’s family members, friends and social circle.
“All tested negative except for 33 who were confirmed positive,” he said.
Of the 33 cases, he said one individual had died, but a post-mortem confirmed the death was not linked to TB.
He said the remaining 32 patients are currently receiving treatment and have been issued medical leave, placed under quarantine, given medication and advised to rest.
He said those undergoing treatment would continue to be closely monitored even after recovery.
“Once they recover, they must return to the hospital for continuous monitoring until they test negative before they are allowed to resume normal life,” he said.
Ling said individuals who initially tested negative will also be monitored for up to two years, with periodic tests at designated health clinics.
“TB is not a new disease and the Health Ministry knows how to manage it.
“It spreads only through very close contact and its transmissibility is much lower,” he said.
With the approaching festive season, he advised the public to continue practising good personal hygiene and to wear face masks if they are worried or have pre-existing medical conditions.
On Feb 5, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed the emergence of a TB cluster in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, with 33 positive cases detected following screening of 804 close contacts.
He said the ministry’s teams are on the ground and taking measures to curb the outbreak.
