First local Zika infection reported in Sabah

First local Zika infection reported in Sabah

Dusun man, 61, most likely to be a victim of a local source of infection as he has no history of travelling abroad.

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PETALING JAYA:
A second case of Zika infection has been confirmed, a 61-year-old Dusun man in Sabah, who is believed to be the first case of a locally-transmitted infection.

The director-general of health, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, said the case was reported to the Health Ministry on Friday.

“It was found that this Zika infection is most likely from a local source of infection, as the patient did not have any recent travelling history abroad and was probably bitten by an Aedes mosquito infected with Zika,” said Dr Noor Hisham in a statement today.

The patient developed a fever on Aug 27 and went to a clinic on Aug 30 and sought further treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 the next day when he experienced worsening fever, muscle aches and diarrhea.

The patient’s blood and urine samples tested positive for Zika, but his serious clinical condition could be due to existing health afflictions and not primarily due to the Zika virus.

The patient’s close contacts will also be examined to determine if they have fever or other symptoms of Zika.

 

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