Zika: Two new confirmed cases involving siblings - Health Minister

The Health Ministry today confirmed reports that two more Zika cases have been detected involving siblings, one in Miri and another in Kuala Lumpur, raising the total of cases to six so far.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam in a statement said the fifth victim, a 35-year old woman is two months pregnant.

The victim had gone to a private clinic on Sept 6 after complaining of prolonged fever, flu, and sore throat.

"A test conducted by a private lab in Kuala Lumpur showed that the patient tested positive for Zika. She was admitted to the Miri Hospital on Sept 11 for further tests," he said on Tuesday.

He said the patient had previously worked in Singapore and last visited the country from July 24-29.

However, all six family members of the patient who lived in the same house did not show any symptoms or signs of Zika infection.

Meanwhile, the sixth victim is a sister to the the pregnant woman.

She is a 39-year-old woman who lives in Setapak and was admitted to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 11 after developing rashes on Sept 6.

Dr Subramaniam said the elder sister had shown symptoms and had a history of visiting her sister in Miri on Aug 26, before leaving for Kuala Lumpur on Sept 6.

Following the two cases, he said preventive action and vector control had been implemented in the residential areas of the two patients, including eradicating Aedes breeding grounds, performing 'larvasiding', fogging and educating other residents about the dangers of the Zika Virus.

On Sept 10, the ministry confirmed the country’s fourth Zika virus infection, and the second in Johor Bahru.

On Sept 1, a 58-year-old woman in Bandar Botanic in Klang was reported to be the first Zika virus infection case in the country.

On Sept 3, a man in Taman Public Jaya Likas, Sabah was reported to be the first Malaysian to contract the Zika virus locally. The 61-year-old died of complications from his underlying heart disease the next day.

On Sept 7, the pregnant woman in Johor was confirmed to be Malaysia’s third Zika virus infection case.