21 religious school students infected with mumps in stable condition

KUALA LUMPUR: The 21 male students from a secondary religious school in Ipoh, Perak who were affected by the mumps epidemic on Wednesday are reported to be in stable condition.

Health Ministry (KKM) Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry had received reports on the epidemic from the Perak State Health Department and the Kinta District Health Office.

“It involves 21 male students aged between 13 and 17 out of 660 students and staff who were exposed to the epidemic. All the cases are stable and receiving treatment as outpatients,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the epidemic was caused by the Paramyxovirus virus, causing the victim to suffer fever, headaches, muscle ache, fatigue, loss of appetite as well as pain and swelling in the salivary glands.

He said the epidemic is spread through respiratory secretions and saliva, as well as contact with affected objects, but the victim can recover fully without complications after two to three weeks.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, mumps immunisation has been given since 2002 in the form of the three-pronged Measles-MumpsRubella (MMR) vaccine.

“Based on the latest national immunisation schedule beginning April 2016, this vaccine is given twice, with the first dose at the age of nine months and the second at one year old,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham also said mumps patients must be isolated and not be in public places to prevent the infection from spreading. They should also seek early treatment.

Meanwhile, Omar Bakar, the principal of the the Sekolah Menengah Agama Izzuddin Shah said in a statement that all the students have been allowed to go home from 3.30 pm on Thursday and are expected to return to the school hostel on Sept 26.