Malaysia

ASIN, July 11 — The Health Ministry has taken the precautionary measure of beefing up controls at all entry points to prevent the spread of enterovirus 71 (EV-71) that was found in Cambodia.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (picture) said the ministry had taken the necessary steps to curb the virus from spreading to Malaysia by sending a medical team as observers to monitor the development in the country.

According to reports we have received, it has been proven that the virus (EV-71) was found in the country (Cambodia) but some of the deaths that occurred were due to dengue as well,” he told reporters after visiting the Jasin Hospital here today.

EV-71 causes different diseases of varying intensity, which include acute respiratory disease, polio-like acute flaccid paralysis, the deadly brainstem encephalitis and the often mild HFMD, characterised as a self-limiting illness presenting with fever and accompanied by skin lesions or rashes.

Proper disposal of baby diapers or human waste, strict personal hygiene and regular hand washing prevent viral spread, since the virus is known to harbour in faeces as it is found in the human intestine.

Thus, parents and day-care personnel are urged to clean and disinfect toys and teaching tools that are shared by children to prevent infections, as there are no known effective drugs or vaccines for EV-71.

Liow said the ministry had also taken various measures to curb the spread of the virus that was sometimes found in Sarawak, including closing nurseries and kindergartens temporarily if any child was affected.

The Malaysian Insider/Bernama
11 July 2012