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<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width=996 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>An outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease malaria in a Malaysian state has been blamed on infection by immigrant workers from neighbouring Thailand, a report said Sunday. Infected Thai nationals working as rubber-tappers in the northern Malaysian state of Perak are believed to have passed the disease on to locals via the bites of mosquitoes, said state chief minister Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali. He said the workers are believed to be carrying a strain of malaria that does not respond well to vaccine administered by the health department, and that mosquitoes were spreading the strain to locals. "The strain infecting the people is different from that which we normally face and our vaccine does not seem to work," Mohamad Tajol was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times newspaper. Seven villages in the state have reported an outbreak of malaria since last month, with 61 people testing positive for the disease.
Medical officers have been sent to affected areas to treat both foreign workers and the locals, and to ensure that the outbreak is contained. "The locals, especially rubber estate owners in the area, are too old to go out and tap rubber, while the youngsters prefer to work in the cities. "As such, they depend heavily on foreign workers to do the job," Mohamad Tajol was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star. "The department has sent medical teams to treat the patients. Screening of the foreign workers and villagers will continue," he said. Symptoms of malaria, which is a treatable disease if detected early, are flu-like such as fever, headache and vomiting.)
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Medical officers have been sent to affected areas to treat both foreign workers and the locals, and to ensure that the outbreak is contained. "The locals, especially rubber estate owners in the area, are too old to go out and tap rubber, while the youngsters prefer to work in the cities. "As such, they depend heavily on foreign workers to do the job," Mohamad Tajol was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star. "The department has sent medical teams to treat the patients. Screening of the foreign workers and villagers will continue," he said. Symptoms of malaria, which is a treatable disease if detected early, are flu-like such as fever, headache and vomiting.)
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