Dec 2006

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is endemic in Sarawak . It gained prominence and entered the national consciousness with the 1997 outbreak when there were 2,628 cases and 29 deaths. Since then outbreaks of HFMD (due to enterovirus 71) in the State have occurred in 2000, 2003, and the most recent, in 2006.

Click PDF file to read more.(Dec2006.pdf)

Jan 2007

HFMD has been made a notifiable disease under the Prevention and Control of Infectious diseases Act 1988, effective from 12 October 2006 . Part I of the First Schedule of the Act has been amended to include HFMD and to exclude “myocarditis” which was in the original list.

Click PDF file to read more.(Jan2007.pdf)

Feb 2007

Since the last update on HFMD in last month’s EPIDNEWS, the number of cases of HFMD crossed the warning level in epid week 4, crossed the alert level the following week, continued to rise till epid week 10 and showed a decline in epid week 11. Although the cases remain above the alert level, the number constitutes only 38% of the total number of cases in the same time period last year.

Click PDF file to read more.(Feb2007.pdf)

March 2007

Tuberculosis has been with us for too long. An epidemic that should belong to the past is still increasing globally. TB is still a leading killer of young adults worldwide which causes more death than any other infectious diseases.World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Malaysia as an intermediate TB burden country (Incidence rate < 25-100/ 100,000 pop).

Click PDF file to read more.(Mar2007.pdf)

April 2007

Food poisoning continue to be one of the most frequently reported outbreak with an incidence rate of more than 10 per 100,000 population from the year 2000. Food poisoning outbreaks are mainly institutional. In 2006, 10 outbreaks were reported, 6 of those in school with an incidence rate of 8.27/100,000 population.

Click PDF file to read more.(Apr2007.pdf)

May 2007

The Government of Malaysia is concerned by the escalation in the rate of HIV transmission in the country, particularly amongst young people and injecting drug users. Despite successes in it responses, the current prevention efforts are inadequate to curb the epidemic and only limited coverage has been achieved for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV-related illnesses.

Click PDF file to read more.(May2007.pdf)

June 2007

The major DF/DHF outbreaks in 1990 and 1991 recorded the incidence rates of 90.4 and 60.1 per 100,000 populations respectively. However the situation was under control in 1992 to 1996 with reported cases from 222 to 590 per year. The Dengue re-emerge in 1998 when a total of 1,004 cases were reported.

Click PDF file to read more.(June2007.pdf)

July 2007

A total of 60 deaths due to malaria occurred in the state from 1996 to 2006. After 1998, the number of deaths steadily increased and seemed to level off from 2002 until 2006 with 6 to 8 deaths per year.

Click PDF file to read more.(July2007.pdf)

August 2007

Acute diarrhea diseases are the major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality all over the world, more so in developing countries. In developed countries, virus infections account for up to 60% of all gastroenteritis in children < 5 years. In contrast, rotavirus cause < 5% of all episodes of diarrhea in developing countries, but of episodes requiring hospitalization, 40-50% are due to rotavirus.

Click PDF file to read more.(Aug2007.pdf)

September 2007

The food poisoning outbreaks is still a public health problem in the nation and the state in particular. Outbreaks occurs every year and are mainly institutional.

Click PDF file to read more.(Sept2007.pdf)

October and November 2007

Measles is highly infectious disease caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. The disease spread by airborne droplets, close personal contact or direct contact with nasal or throat secretion of infected persons.

Click PDF file to read more.(Oct&Nov2007.pdf)