Nine acute gastroentritis cases reported in Kedah, Penang — Health Ministry
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has confirmed nine cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) were reported in Kedah and Penang, with three confirmed positive for rotavirus.
In a statement issued here yesterday, its director- general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the nine cases involved seven children, aged between 11 months to 10 years, in Kedah and two, aged three and five, in Penang.
He said three of the seven cases reported in Sept 28 were from one family while the rest were sporadic cases. All had been hospitalised for treatment and began showing the infection on Sept 26 after allegedly visiting the Bukit Merah Laketown Resort on Sept 24. Noor Hisham also said two of the children reported to suffer from AGE in Penang were also reported to have swam in the resort .
However, they were not from the same family and have also been hospitalised.
“All nine cases are in stable condition. To date, only three have been confirmed positive for rotavirus. All three are being treated at the Kulim Hospital, Kedah,” he said.
Rotavirus is the main cause for severe diarrhoea among children, causing dehydration which can lead to death, especially among those aged six months to three years. It is easily spread to children through food, water as well as unclean and unsanitary environment.
Noor Hisham said all states were advised to increase monitoring of AGE cases in the last week while private medical practitioners were asked to report all diarrhoea cases with a history of visiting the recreational resort to the nearest Health Office.
“The ministry is still investigating the matter and will continue monitoring the situation,” he said.
He also advised parents whose children suffer diarrhoea to get medical treatment and not send them to the nursery, kindergarten, schools or swimming pools to prevent the infection spreading to other people. — Bernama