Lima lagi hidap Chikungunya

16-12-2008

Oleh Omar Osman

32 mangsa dipindah ke wad khas

SUNGAI PETANI: Lima lagi penduduk Kampung Baru Sungkap Para di sini, dimasukkan ke Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim (HSAH) selepas disahkan dijangkiti demam Chikungunya menjadikan jumlah mereka yang dijangkiti penyakit itu sehingga kini 32 orang.

Pengarah Kesihatan Kedah, Datuk Dr Hasnah Ismail, berkata mangsa terbaru itu adalah tiga lelaki dan dua wanita yang dimasukkan ke HSAH, malam kelmarin selepas pemeriksaan mendapati mereka mengalami tanda demam Chikungunya seperti sakit sendi, bengkak badan dan lemah seluruh anggota badan.

Katanya, semua 32 mangsa berkenaan juga sudah dipindahkan ke wad khas hospital lama Sungai Petani di sini, berhampiran pejabat Jabatan Kesihatan daerah bagi memudahkan pegawai membuat pemantauan dan kajian mengenai penyakit berkenaan.

"Keadaan mereka tidak begitu serius dan cuma memerlukan rawatan lanjut dan sebaik kita berpuas hati dengan tahap kesihatan pesakit, mereka akan dibenarkan pulang ke rumah masing-masing.

" Pegawai dan kakitangan jabatan itu juga akan membuat pemantauan berterusan ke atas penduduk kampung berkenaan dengan mengadakan pemeriksaan kesihatan, gotong-royong dari semasa ke semasa bagi memastikan tiada lagi penduduk dijangkiti penyakit itu," katanya.

Katanya, penduduk kampung berkenaan juga diminta membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan sendiri di klinik dan memastikan kawasan persekitaran rumah sentiasa bersih tanpa perlu mengharap bantuan pihak lain.

"Setakat ini, kes penyakit Chikungunya hanya dikesan di Kampung Baru Sungkap Para saja dan kita tidak menerima sebarang aduan atau maklumat yang mengatakan penyakit itu sudah merebak ke kawasan lain.

"Jika ada penduduk kawasan lain yang mengalami demam seperti Chikungunya mereka hendaklah segera mendapatkan rawatan di klinik atau hospital berdekatan," katanya.

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27 disahkan hidap Chikungunya di Kedah

SUNGAI PETANI: Dua puluh tujuh penduduk Kampung Sungkap Para, Sungai Lalang, di sini dimasukkan ke wad Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim (HSAH) di sini kerana menghidap demam 'Chikungunya'.

Timbalan Pengarah Kesihatan (Kesihatan Awam) Kedah, Dr Shahidan Hashim, berkata keadaan mereka semua dilaporkan stabil dan masih menerima rawatan di hospital berkenaan sejak dimasukkan dua hari lalu.

Katanya kampung itu adalah kampung pertama di negeri ini berlaku kes Chikungunya.

"Setakat pagi ini, 27 kes sudah disahkan dengan penyakit ini di Kedah, dan langkah pengawalan sedang giat dilakukan bagi mengelak merebak ke kawasalan lain yang lebih luas," katanya ketika ditemui pemberita pada Program Gotong Royong anjuran Jabatan Kesihatan Sungai Petani dan penduduk kampung berkenaan, hari ini.

Beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan jumlah pesakit akan bertambah sekiranya, langkah pengawalan tidak dilakukan secepat mungkin.

"Saya meminta penduduk kampung yang mengalami simptom penyakit itu membuat pemeriksaan di pusat pemeriksaan bagi mengelak keadaan lebih buruk berlaku, serta membersihkan persekitaran rumah terutama tempat pembiakan nyamuk," katanya.

Shahidan berkata salah satu cara untuk mengekang wabak daripada merebak ialah mengenal pasti tempat pembiakan nyamuk kemudian terus memusnahkannya tanpa berlengah teruatama pada peringkat awal pembesaran.

"Nyamuk boleh dimusnahkan pada peringkat awal, tetapi jika dibiarkan hingga ke peringkat matang ia akan terbang dan menggigit penduduk seterusnya terbang ke kawasan lain dan berlaku penularan penyakit ini dengan cepat," katanya.

Walaupun penyakit bawaan nyamuk ini tidak seserius demam denggi oleh nyamuk aedes, katanya mereka yang dijangkiti akan menderita sakit sendi dan demam berpanjangan hingga menjejaskan pekerjaan dan pendapatan isi rumah sesebuah keluarga. - Bernama - 14-12-2008

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224 lagi disyaki dijangkiti Chikungunya

KUALA LUMPUR: Sejumlah 224 orang disyaki mengalami demam Chikungunya di seluruh negara bagi tempoh 24 hingga 30 Ogos, berbanding 179 orang minggu sebelumnya.

Pengarah Kawalan Penyakit Kementerian Kesihatan, Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman, berkata 94 kes atau 42 peratus daripada jumlah kes itu dikesan melalui aktiviti pengesanan dari rumah ke rumah.

"Kes jangkitan Chikungunya minggu ini dilaporkan di lima negeri iaitu Johor, Melaka, Perak, Pulau Pinang dan Sarawak," katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Jumlah kes terkumpul di seluruh negara 1,703 kes iaitu Johor (996), Melaka (405), Perak (173), Negeri Sembilan (92), Selangor (26), Pahang (lima), Putrajaya (tiga), Sarawak (dua) dan Pulau Pinang (satu).

Dr Hasan berkata penyakit Chikungunya adalah penyakit yang hanya berjangkit daripada gigitan nyamuk Aedes. - Bernama 4-9-2008

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Kes Chikungunya

PUTRAJAYA: Kementerian Kesihatan menerima sejumlah 179 kes Chikungunya dilaporkan berlaku di seluruh negara bagi tempoh 17 hingga 23 Ogos lalu.

Pengarah Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman, berkata jumlah itu menurun sebanyak 34 kes berbanding minggu sebelumnya iaitu sebanyak 213 kes.

“Sebanyak 36 kes dikesan melalui aktiviti pengesanan kes ke rumah-rumah oleh anggota kementerian, manakala yang selebihnya dilaporkan oleh klinik ataupun hospital,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Katanya kes jangkitan Chikungunya pada minggu itu dilaporkan di enam negeri iaitu Johor (124 kes), Melaka (42 kes), Perak (10 kes) dan masing-masing satu kes di Putrajaya, Pahang dan Selangor.

Beliau berkata sehingga kini, tiada kematian berkaitan penyakit Chikungunya dilaporkan berlaku.

Dr Hasan berkata pada minggu itu, terdapat 16 lokaliti wabak yang masih dipantau termasuk tujuh lokaliti wabak baru.

“Lokaliti wabak yang dipantau itu adalah terkawal dan pada minggu itu juga, sebanyak 11 lokaliti wabak telah diisytihar tamat,” katanya.

Katanya sehingga kini, kumulatif kes sepanjang tahun ini di seluruh negara adalah sebanyak 1,479 kes dengan menyaksikan Johor, negeri tertinggi iaitu sebanyak 897 kes dilaporkan berlaku, diikuti Melaka (363 kes), Perak (98), Negeri Sembilan (89), Selangor (25), Pahang (empat) dan Kuala Lumpur (tiga).

Beliau berkata hanya 207 kes (14 peratus) daripada keseluruhan kes tersebut yang memerlukan rawatan di hospital berbanding majoriti pesakit (86 peratus) yang mendapatkan rawatan pesakit luar.

Katanya kementerian mengambil langkah segera dan berterusan untuk mengawal penularan penyakit tersebut di kawasan yang dilaporkan berlaku.

Dr Hasan berkata penyakit Chikungunya adalah penyakit yang hanya berjangkit daripada gigitan nyamuk Aedes dan didapati kawasan yang terlibat jangkitan Chikungunya mempunyai kadar pembiakan nyamuk Aedes yang tinggi.

Katanya selain aktiviti penyemburan kabus racun serangga, langkah pemusnahan tempat pembiakan nyamuk terutamanya melalui aktiviti gotong royong adalah amat diperlukan untuk membasmi nyamuk Aedes. — Bernama 29-8-2008

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Chikungunya and dengue situation in Perak, Negri and KL has improved

Tuesday August 19, 2008


TANGKAK: The chikungunya and dengue fever outbreaks in Perak, Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur are under control.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai urged the people to help clean up villages, housing areas and towns to ensure their premises do not become mosquito-breeding grounds.

He said that apart from the three areas, Johor and Malacca too had been affected by the chikungunya outbreak.

He added that the ministry had declared an all-out war against the culprit mosquitoes to further curb the menace.

Liow, who was earlier briefed on the chikungunya outbreak by Muar Health Department officer Dr Mohd Zulkifli Othman, said that as of Sunday Johor had recorded more than 830 cases of chikungunya.




Showing concern: Liow talking to hospital patient Ong Kim Sua, who is suspected of having chikungunya fever, during his visit to Tangkak Hospital on Sunday.

He said the ministry had set up special units to monitor all affected areas and taken preventive measures, including fogging, to curb the spread of the disease.
On the shortage of doctors in government hospitals, Liow said the ministry would implement measures to increase their numbers, especially in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

He said one way was to increase the number of new doctors in big hospitals so that experienced professionals could become visiting doctors at smaller hospitals.

“We will also resolve the shortage by asking the Public Services Department to take in more doctors immediately, and we will also engage foreign doctors,” he added.

“I have directed the ministry's director-general to expedite the plan, and also to recall local doctors now serving abroad.”

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Highest rate of chikungunya fever this year

By AUDREY EDWARDS

PUTRAJAYA: The country has recorded its highest number of chikungunya viral fever cases in a year.

Health Ministry disease control director Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said fewer than 100 Malaysians tested positive for the illness last year, but as at Wednesday morning, 136 people have tested positive from the 631 cases detected at 20 localities in Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Perak.

There were 15 patients warded for fever and severe joint pains, while the majority received outpatient treatment.

"It is unusually high. It is because the aedes mosquito breeding index is high and it is making transmission easier," he said on Wednesday.

He said monitoring was continuously being carried out especially in areas where dengue fever was reported.

Both chikungunya and dengue are spread by the aedes mosquito.

"We have also been double-checking dengue hotspots for both sicknesses," he said. "We are, however, more concerned about dengue cases being on the rise."

He said more programmes to get rid of mosquitoes and destroy breeding areas such as fogging and gotong-royong by the public would be carried out.

Dr Hasan also urged the public to go to health clinics or hospitals to be checked by doctors for chikungunya fever if they showed symptoms such as fever, joint pains and rashes.

In a statement read out by Dr Hasan during a press conference, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the majority of cases were detected through house-to-house checks by ministry officers.

He said besides active detection, fogging and "larviciding" had been carried out.

"Active health education has also been carried out through discussions, health advice and brochure distribution," he said.

"The majority of cases are self limiting and chikungunya does not cause bleeding or death."

He added those who had been infected acquired life long immunity from the disease.

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60 penduduk Felda hidap penyakit misteri

KULAI JAYA: Kira-kira 60 penduduk Felda Bukit Permai di sini, menghidap penyakit misteri yang menunjukkan simptom demam denggi dan chikungunya.

Penduduk mendakwa penyakit yang mula merebak di kampung berkenaan pada pertengahan bulan lalu menyebabkan penghidapnya sakit kepala yang teruk, ruam dan gatal pada bahagian badan mereka.

Mereka mendakwa sudah mendapat rawatan di Hospital Kulai dan ada sebahagiannya dimasukkan ke wad selama seminggu, tetapi pihak hospital enggan memberitahu penyakit mereka.

Sehubungan itu, penduduk beralih mendapat rawatan di klinik swasta berdekatan tempat tinggal mereka dan diberitahu mereka mengidap penyakit chikungunya.

Tukang kebun, Zainuddin Darman, 39, berkata sehingga ke hari ini jumlah penghidap penyakit itu meningkat dan belum ada lagi tindakan daripada Jabatan Kesihatan daerah atau negeri.

"Ahli keluarga saya dan sebilangan penduduk tidak dapat bekerja selepas diserang penyakit ini.

Saya pernah membuat aduan di pusat kesihatan dan hospital kerajaan, namun tiada maklum balas positif diberikan," katanya ketika ditemui di rumahnya, di sini, semalam.

Operator kilang, Mazlan Esmir, 46, berkata beliau sudah dijangkiti penyakit itu selama dua hari menyebabkannya tidak dapat bekerja.
Katanya, keseimbangan badannya hilang selain rasa bisa pada sendi dan badannya dinaiki ruam.

Suri rumah, Yatimah Marzuki, 67, berkata beliau menghidapi penyakit itu selama tujuh hari sebelum mendapatkan rawatan di klinik.

"Saya hanya dibekalkan ubat tahan bisa, ubat demam serta krim bagi ruam dan gatal-gatal,” katanya.

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Chikungunya mudah tersebar

Oleh Hafizah Iszahanid

Syarikat farmaseutikal besar tak minat hasil vaksin penyakit di Asia, Afrika

KUALA LUMPUR: Seperti demam denggi, penyakit chikungunya juga tiada vaksin tetapi cepat menular kerana kecanggihan sistem pengangkutan negara yang memudahkan penghidapnya bergerak dan menjangkitkan kepada orang lain.

Chikungunya berpotensi berlaku sepanjang tahun di Malaysia kerana iklim negara ini yang panas.

Pengarah Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan, Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman, berkata musim hujan ketika ini menyebabkan populasi nyamuk Aedes bertambah dan antara sebab kes penyakit itu kebelakangan ini.

" Pergerakan manusia dari satu tempat ke tempat lain semakin mudah dengan sistem pengangkutan yang moden. Jadi, lebih mudah penyakit menular. Tidak kiralah sama ada ia dibawa pendatang atau pelancong asing," katanya.

Justeru, walaupun Malaysia pernah dianggap negara yang bebas chikungunya tetapi kerana kedudukannya dalam benua Asia, ia masih terdedah kepada ancaman penyakit itu.

"Chikungunya adalah penyakit negara Afrika dan Asia. Selain faktor cuaca, tahap kebersihan di sesetengah negara di benua berkenaan yang tidak memuaskan menjadi pemangkin kepada wabak," katanya.

Dr Hasan berkata, kes chikungunya ketika ini bagaimanapun terkawal dengan 657 kes dicatatkan hingga Khamis lalu. Semua kes tertumpu di 21 lokaliti yang sama di sekitar Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor dan Perak.

"Chikugunya adalah penyakit berkait rapat dengan kebersihan kerana vektornya adalah nyamuk Aedes aegypti dan Aedes albopictus yang juga membawa virus denggi,"

"Ia hanya boleh ditangani sepenuhnya dengan penjagaan kebersihan seperti menghapuskan nyamuk kerana chikungunya tiada ubat. Setakat ini rawatan chikungunya adalah menentang simptom," katanya.

Ketiadaan vaksin menentang chikungunya dikaitkan dengan faktor lokasi tumpuan penyakit itu. Disebabkan ia hanya berlaku di negara sebelah Afrika dan Asia dan jarang berlaku di Eropah, syarikat farmaseutikal besar tidak berminat untuk membiayai penyelidikan untuk membangunkan vaksin.

Walaupun chikungunya penyakit yang dikaitkan dengan virus, ia tidak akan menjadi mutasi atau berubah-ubah seperti virus influenza. Justeru pembinaan vaksin akan membantu pesakit selain serangan chikungunya pertama kali akan membina antibodi.

Di Malaysia, chikungunya bukanlah penyakit yang boleh membawa maut walaupun Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) ada melaporkan kematian membabitkan chikungunya di negara Afrika.

Chikungunya diambil daripada bahasa Swahili bermaksud "yang boleh dibengkok' merujuk kepada kedudukan badan yang bengkok kerana serangan sakit sendi (seakan-akan arthritis).

Berbanding kanak-kanak, golongan tua yang diserang chikungunya lebih lambat untuk sembuh sepenuhnya. Ia mungkin memakan masa berbulan-bulan atau bertahun-tahun. Masa pengeramannya boleh menjangkau dari tiga kepada 12 hari.

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chikungunya virus

Wednesday January 30, 2008


Lowdown on Chikungunya


Here are frequently asked questions about the Chikungunya virus.
By S.S. YOGA

RECENTLY, nine people were reported to have contracted Chikungunya fever in Singapore. And apparently last year there were 10 cases reported. “Chiku what?” you’re probably asking.

Chikungunya is thought to be derived from the Makonde (of south-eastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique) word kungunyala meaning “to dry up or become contorted.”


A girl looking at a model of an aedes mosquito, which transmits the Chikungunya virus.

The fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected female mosquitoes. In fact, the mosquito is from the Aedes species, the same that can transmit the dengue and yellow fever virus, among others.

Here in Malaysia it is very rare and there were only three outbreaks reported. The first reported outbreak was in Port Klang in 1999 and it affected 27 people. In April 2006, 37 people in a small village, Bagan Panchor in Perak were diagnosed with it. Then in December that same year in Ipoh, it was confined to a very small area and 30 people were afflicted. Those affected were either workers from India or Malaysian workers who had returned from India (where an outbreak had been reported earlier).

To get you up to speed on the disease and the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) here is a list of commonly asked questions.

What are the symptoms?

Those infected often have fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash (but no related haemorrhaging), and severe and sometimes persistent joint pain. The fever lasts a few days to a couple of weeks, but some patients have prolonged fatigue lasting several weeks.

Some patients have reported prolonged joint pain and arthritis. As you may have noticed, many of the symptoms are similar to dengue except for prolonged joint pain.

The incubation period (time from infection to illness) can be two to 12 days but normally it is three to seven days.

Recovery is expected but elderly folks take longer and some may take a year or more. The authoritative health organisations say that no deaths have been conclusively proven due to CHIKV. And good news of sorts – infection (even “silent” ones without illness) is thought to confer life-long immunity.

The incidence of CHIKV infection may be higher than reported because of misdiagnosis (due to the symptoms resembling dengue).

How do you get infected?

A mosquito spreads it after biting a person who is already infected, inthe daytime. Monkeys and possibly other animals may also serve as reservoirs.

The mosquito involved is the Aedes aegypti (white spotted body and legs) and there have been cases where the Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) has been the culprit.

How is it treated?

There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for the fever (as in dengue). Treatment is rest, ingesting fluids and medication for mitigating pain and fever. Aspirin should be avoided.

It is recommended that the patient’s movements be restricted so that exposure to mosquitoes is limited in order to avoid further spreading of the virus. Note that there is no direct human-to-human transmission.

How do you prevent it?

Do what is normally done to prevent mosquito bites – use insect repellents, mosquito coils/mats/nets, proper clothing (that covers your body) and so on.

But the best way is to stop the mosquito from breeding. As they breed in clean stagnant water, any place or receptacle which has still water should either be covered or drained (whichever is applicable). Properly dispose used containers (cups, bottles and so on) as they will collect water.

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Ketuanan Melayu X Wujud - Mat Taib

By Kong See Koh, The Sun

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib says ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) is just a catchphrase, and does not exist in real life.

He said the crux of the matter is not in the phrase itself but whether the Malays and other bumiputras can make use of what they have learnt and make contributions to the society.

"As long as the Malays/bumiputras can give their best to strive forward and show outstanding results in business and service sectors, or even when working for others, they have succeeded."

Muhammad Taib, who is rural and regional development minister, said this during an interview with Sin Chew Daily carried today, when asked to comment on the much-debated topic.

He said ketuanan Melayu was a phrase coined by some people for purposes best known to themselves.

He reminded those who talked about ketuanan Melayu the whole day, or write and sing about it that at the end of the day it is meaningless no matter how much many times they shout "ketuanan Melayu" if they do nothing to better themselves.

On the fear many people have about the phrase "ketuanan Melayu" as they see it as a symbol of Malay dominance over the other races in the country, Muhammad Taib said it (ketuanan Malayu) has been misinterpreted.

He felt that the so-called "Malay dominance" has nothing to do with ketuanan Melayu or the other races being sub-servant to the Malays.

"If a kampung has only one clinic which is owned by a Malay, and people of all races seek treatment at the clinic, then the Malays have dominance in that kampung.

"Likewise, if the Chinese are the sole provider of (certain) services in an area, and other races patronise their shops, then the Chinese enjoy dominance in that particular area."

Muhammad Taib said what should be noted is that Malays do not have the the vast knowledge and capability to to compete with others, and whatever talk about ketuanan Melayu and Malay dominance is irrelevant.

He admitted that in the past Umno had indeed dominated the Barisan Nasional (BN) but the so-called dominance was used to allow non-Malay candidates to be fielded by Barisan in Malay-majority constituencies and use its influence to urge the Malay voters to accept non-Malay candidates.

However, he said, the situation has changed lately, and Malay-majority seats that were once considered safe (for BN) are no longer so, as people's mindsets have changed, and on top of that, Indian voters are largely unhappy with the government.

On the requests made by Chinese on education and equality, Muhammad Taib felt that they are not unreasonable as they are only trying to defend their rights.

However, he said they must look at the situation while bringing up their requests, as certain things said at the wrong time would offend others.

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