JOHOR BARU: Three pupils who tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) in Johor have recovered while the remaining four are still receiving treatment, says Aznan Tamin.
The state education and information committee chairman said the three recovered primary school pupils are among the six students from the TB cluster in Kota Tinggi.
“The situation is getting better but the recovered pupils are still quarantined for further monitoring before they are allowed to return to school.
“At present, three students in Kota Tinggi and one in Pontian are still being treated,” he told the media after launching the Petrosains PlayFarm Johor Baru programme at the Johor Public Library Corporation here on Thursday (Feb 12).
Aznan said that 31 pupils from one school in Pontian have been screened so far after the case was detected.
“No schools in Johor have been instructed to close for now,” he added.
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 the screening of 804 close contacts.
One death was reported in the cluster but confirmed it was not caused by TB infection.
On Feb 9, Aznan said a pupil tested positive for TB, which was confirmed by the Pontian district health office.
TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is transmitted through the air to nearby close contacts.
Symptoms include a persistent cough, significant weight loss, loss of appetite, night sweats and coughing up blood.
TB is preventable and fully curable with effective treatment, which requires a minimum duration of six months.
