Re: Malaysia: Melioidosis in four areas

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Malaysia: Melioidosis in four areas

July 10, 2010 19:08 PM

Six Die Of Leptospirosis After Rescue Ops


MARAN, July 10 (Bernama) -- Six villagers have died of leptospirosis and melioidosis within a week of joining in the search for a drowning victim in the Lubuk Yu recreational forest near here, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai revealed on Saturday.

He identified them as Azizam Abdullah, 58, Timothy Hoo Seng Heng, 29, Lim Sin Lai, 55, Mohd Ali Abdullah, 60, Zakaria Ayub, 52, and Zainal Abidin Ismail, 56.

Two of them died on July 9 and one each on July 8, July 7, July 6 and July 3, he said, adding that four of them died at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh and two at their homes.

"The six became ill a week after participating in the search and rescue operation and suffered from fever, cough, muscle aches and diarrhoea," he told reporters after attending a briefing on the incident, here. Also present at the news conference was Pahang director of health Datuk Dr Rosnah Ismail.

Liow said seven other people were under treatment, three of them at the Temerloh hospital, two at Jengka Hospital and one each at Selayang Hospital and Kuantan Medical Centre.

He said the 13 were among 83 people comprising 56 search and rescue personnel and 27 villagers who were involved in an operation to look for drowning victim Mohd Azhar Azizam, 28, between June 26 and 30. Mohd Azhar's body was recovered on June 30.

Liow advised the people not to panic, saying the bacteria was not contagious.

"Studies show that the bacteria is not contagious and that only those involved in the search and rescue operation were affected," he said, adding that all of them had been administered preliminary treatment as a precaution.

He said death only occurred in cases where treatment was administered late.

Family members of the dead persons did not display symptoms of the disease, he added.

Liow said the villagers must have contracted the bacteria when they camped in Lubuk Yu during the operation until the recovery of Mohd Azhar's body.

He said the recreational area had been closed to the public pending the outcome of tests on soil and water samples.

"Leptospirosis and melioidosis are endemic in Malaysia and in the tropics.

People must exercise caution when picnicking in recreational areas," he said.

-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=512480

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis After Rescue Ops

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/11/nation/6645403&sec=nation

Sunday July 11, 2010
Bacteria killed rescuers, says Liow
By NIK NAIZI HUSIN and RACHAEL KAM
newsdesk@thestar.com.my


MARAN: The six villagers, who died within a week after taking part in the search and rescue operation of a drowning victim in the Lubuk Yu recreational forest near here, have been confirmed to be affected by two different strains of bacteria ? leptospirosis and melioidosis.

The dead were identified as Zakaria Ayub, 52, Azizam Abdullah, 58, Timothy Hoo Seng Heng, 29, Zainal Abidin Ismail, 56, Lim Sin Lai, 55, and Mohd Ali Abdullah, 60.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday, the villagers succumbed to the disease due to delayed medical treatment.

Seven others were undergoing treatment, three of them at the Temerloh hospital, two at Jengka Hospital and one each at Selayang Hospital and Kuantan Medical Centre.

?The six who died became ill a week after taking part in the search and rescue operation and suffered from fever, cough, muscle aches and diarrhoea,? he told reporters after attending a briefing on the incident here.

Also present at the press conference were the state Health Committee chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun and Pahang director of health Datuk Dr Rosnah Ismail.

Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water- and earth-borne bacteria.

The dead were among 83 people comprising 56 search and rescue personnel and 27 villagers who were involved in an operation to look for drowning victim Mohd Azhar Azizam, 28, between June 26 and 30.

Mohd Azhar?s body was recovered on June 30.

They were believed to have been infected while camping in the Lubuk Yu area during the operation.

Meanwhile, Timothy?s father Hoo Hook Kee, 60, said his son was a helpful person and had been involved in many volunteer activities in the village.

He left behind a wife and two sons ? one aged three months and the other two years.

In a separate function in Kajang, Liow said the ministry had intensified efforts to curb the spread of dengue by deploying more volunteers to conduct preventive activities.

?The people must cooperate to prevent an outbreak of this dangerous disease,? he said after joining residents in Taman Kajang Mewah for an anti-dengue gotong-royong exercise here yesterday.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10aziz/Article


Triple deaths strike at Fatimah's heart
2010/07/12

Share | MARAN: For more than 40 years, Felda settler Fatimah Saat and her husband, Azizam Abdullah, braved the odds to open up land and make a living.
They went through many hardships to raise their five children but in the twilight of their years, tragedy struck -- not once, but thrice.

Fatimah and Azizam were devastated when their third son, Mohamad Azhar Azizam Abdullah, 28, drowned at the popular Lubuk Yu waterfall here on June 26.


The grieving Azizam joined the search for his son's body. Diabetic, his immune system compromised, he fell ill from a bacterial infection he picked up during the search and died on Tuesday.


Two of their relatives also fell ill. One of them, Zakaria Ayob, 52, died, too.

The other, who had come for a day from Kuala Lumpur during the search, is warded at the Selayang Specialist Hospital in Selangor.


At Fatimah's home in Felda Jengka 17, the 55-year-old widow said "melioidosis" and "leptospirosis" were foreign words to her that held no meaning.

Even with the explanation by the health authorities, the family still believed that the string of deaths was caused by supernatural elements.

"We went through many hard times to make a life here. My husband went into the wilds and often went barefooted, yet nothing happened then.


"On the night of the drowning, a female cousin was suddenly possessed by what we believed to be Azhar's spirit. She only became well after his body was found three days later."

She said Azizam fell sick on the night of Azhar's disappearance after spending all evening searching for his son.

The father of a 3-year-old girl, Azhar, who worked as a chargeman at Tenaga Nasional Berhad Tapah in Perak, had come home and gone to the waterfall 30km away with four friends at 5pm that day.

"Though Azizam was sick, he only went to Jengka hospital on June 29. He wanted to stay here until our son's body was found.

"When his condition became bad, we took him to Jengka hospital on July 4. We decided to move him to Temerloh Hospital two days later but he died on the way.

"This is God's will. My son had planned to have a grand reunion this coming Hari Raya as he had missed it last year.

"He persuaded his siblings to come back and he wanted to apply for leave early, but it was not meant to be.

"It will be a quiet Raya without him and my husband."

Mohamad Ali Abdullah, 60, who was erroneously identified yesterday as one of the six dead villagers, is being treated at Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.

The sixth man who died was Mohamad Shah, 62, of Felda Jengka 7.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Hon Khai Mun said one of the seven others who were hospitalised was discharged yesterday from Temerloh Hospital.

"Five others are recovering well but the patient in Selayang is still in intensive care."



Read more: Triple deaths strike at Fatimah's heart http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10aziz/Article#ixzz0tPkt5b9m

 

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Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10fallclose/Article


Death waterfall still 'inviting'
2010/07/12
By Masami Mustaza and T.N. Alagesh
Share | MARAN: Closure? What closure? This was the reaction of visitors to the Lubuk Yu waterfall, supposedly closed to the public following the deaths of six villagers from water-borne bacterial infections.

Checks by the New Straits Times showed the presence of a number of people at the site, one of the more popular waterfalls in Pahang.


There were hardly any notices posted within the area to warn visitors to stay away.


Only the main entrance to the site was partly blocked with a red and white ticker tape and there was no guard either.

Although Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had ordered the Forestry and Health Departments to clean up the area on Saturday, the area was still unkempt, with heaps of rubbish strewn around.


Luckily for the visitors, a villager living near the entrance played the good Samaritan by being a self-appointed guard to warn tourists of the possible danger.

Chia Ah Kau, 72 , said he was worried for their safety and upset that there were no signs posted or efforts made to block the paths to the waterfall.

"I've been keeping an eye out all day and I have turned away at least 10 carloads of picnickers. Many were surprised when I told them about the mysterious deaths of the villagers. Some stayed for a while before leaving," he said, adding that the area would normally be jam-packed with picnickers during weekends.


Chia, who has lived in the area for the past 50 years, said more than five drownings at the waterfall had been reported.

"I was surprised when I read that the victims could have been infected by the soil or water here or from food contaminated by rat urine.

"Visitors here throw rubbish anywhere they please and the authorities rarely clean up. Even though the facilities are inadequate, people still come from as far as Kuala Lumpur."

Visitor Kamaruddin Mahundi, of Karak, said he learned about the waterfall from a friend and brought his family to the place for a picnic.

"I didn't know about the deaths and I was surprised when I got here to be told to turn back. There were no warning signs at the main road nor here. The ticker tape only partially blocked the entrance."

Kuala Sentul state assemblywoman Datuk Shahaniza Shamsuddin, who visited the site yesterday, told villagers of Kampung Sungai Jerik, Felda Ulu Jempol and Jengka 2 not to panic over the safety of the piped water to their homes.

"Sungai Ulu Jempol is a tributary of Sungai Temerloh, which eventually flows into Sungai Pahang. The Ulu Jempol water treatment plant is where the water is treated."



Read more: Death waterfall still 'inviting' http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10fallclose/Article#ixzz0tPmF0Tqs

 

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Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10tikus/Article


Clinics near Lubuk Yu beefed up
2010/07/12

Share | KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has deployed more health workers to rural clinics near the Lubuk Yu recreational forest in Maran following the death of six villagers there from bacterial infections.
Five of them died of melioidosis, from contaminated water and soil, and the sixth person died of leptospirosis, from rat urine.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the condition of seven other villagers were stable and they were recovering at hospitals in Jengka, Temerloh, Kuantan and Selayang.


He was speaking after officiating at the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society-Malaysian Medical Association seminar 2010 at Jalan Tun Razak here yesterday.


"There have been no other cases so far, but we have urged the villagers to get treatment from the rural clinics if they develop a high fever. Unlike viral infections, such as influenza A or H1N1, bacterial infections can be cured with antibiotics. So, there is no need to panic."



Read more: Clinics near Lubuk Yu beefed up http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10tikus/Article#ixzz0tPzsrm9W

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

No new cases of melioidosis, leptospirosis
2010/07/12

Share | PUTRAJAYA: No new cases of melioidosis and leptospirosis have been reported among rescuers of drowning victims at Lubuk Yu, Maran, Pahang since end June.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said of the 104 rescuers, only 13 had symptoms.

"Of the 13, six have died while seven are still being treated. Laboratory tests showed that four died in hospital.


"Three were confirmed melioidosis while one was infected with melioidosis and leptospirosis.


"No tests were done on the two people who died at home," he said in a statement Monday.

He said of the six under treatment at hospital, two were infected with melioidosis and leptospirosis while only one had melioidosis.


"We have yet to be informed of test results on two patients in Jengka hospital and a private hospital in Kuantan."

Dr Ismail urged the public not to panic as the infection cannot spread among the people. - BERNAMA



Read more: No new cases of melioidosis, leptospirosis http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Nonewcasesofmelioidosis_leptospirosis/Article/#ixzz0tTtcH4zm

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Maran waterfall still closed: Liow
by Giam Say Khoon




KUALA LUMPUR (July 13, 2010): The polluted Maran waterfall where six people came down with infections and died will remain cordoned off until the examination report on the water quality is released, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today.
Liow said water samples had been collected for analysis from Lubuk Yu and the waterfall will be reopened to the public once the results confirm that it is safe.

"I urge the public and the media to be aware that this is not some mysterious disease (that caused the death of six people).

"This is a common disease caused by known bacterias and we have the antibiotic to treat it," he said after launching the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition here.

It was reported that five of the victims died of melioidosis infection while the sixth died of leptospirosis infection a week after searching for a body of a drowned man at the waterfall last month.

Seven others who joined the search party were hospitalised from June 26 to 30 and are recovering.

Liow gave an assurance that the situation is now under control as no new cases were reported.

"We must know to take care of hygiene when go camping and seek immediate treatment when one suffers from symptoms such as fever," he said.

On non-communicable diseases (NCD), Liow said these diseases, which include heart disease, cancer, asthma, diabetes, allergies and stroke, must be tackled in a comprehensive manner and not just by the Health Ministry.

The minister said he will propose to the cabinet that a cabinet committee be set up, to be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri

Muhyiddin Yassin, to fight NCD in a holistic approach with the cooperation among the ministries as well as the private sector.

Earlier in his speech, he said chronic diseases like hypertension had increased astronomically by 44%, diabetes by 80% and obesity by almost 220% in the 10-year period from 1996 to 2006.

"It is unfortunate that as Malaysia climbs the economic ladder, our citizens have also adopted the chronic diseases of the developed countries.

"Lack of exercise, unhealthy eating habits and too much stress are all contributory to these ailments," he said.

Liow added that he hoped that private and public healthcare entities can work together to better educate and enlighten the people on fighting the diseases. --theSun

http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=49331

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Probably unrelated, but strange timing

Licences of 18 bottled drinking water companies cancelled

KUALA LUMPUR (July 13, 2010): The Health Ministry has cancelled the licences of 18 companies involved in producing bottled drinking for failing to follow guidelines and terms of the licence.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pix) said action was taken against the companies after carrying out tests on the quality of water produced by such companies.


"The government carries out random checks and tests at factories manufacturing or bottling water. The licences of the 18 companies was cancelled due to their failure to follow the proper guidelines," he told the Dewan Rakyat when answering a question by Datuk Idris Haron (BN-Tangga Batu) here today.

Idris had wanted to know the mechanism used by the ministry to ensure bottled water produced by companies was safe for consumption.

Earlier, when answering a question by Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAS-Kota Raja), Liow said the ministry was responsible for the safety of the water bottled by companies which conform to all the provisions in the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.


Liow added that the ministry had issued licences to 184 companies.

He told Siti Mariah that piped water supply in the country was drinkable because its contents are controlled and tested by the ministry.


Siti Mariah had wanted to know the quality and safety of water bottled by companies. -- Bernama
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=49338

 

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Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/42996-liow-cabinet-committee-be-set-fight-noncommunicable-diseases

[snip]

Meanwhile, Liow urged the media, especially the Chinese newspapers to not sensationalise the reports on the six people who died of leptospirosis and melioidosis within a week of joining a search and rescue operation for a drowned victim at the Lubuk Yu recreational forest near Maran.

"Please don't scare the public by saying its a msyterious disease and it was unknown how the people died and so on. Please tell the public that these diseases are quite common in any countries and is caused by known bacterias. We know this disease and we know how to treat it. In fact, we have the antibiotic to treat it. The situation is under control," he said.

He said on the seven others who are undergoing treatment, three of them at the Temerloh hospital, two in Jengka Hospital and one each at Selayang Hospital and Kuantan Medical Centre, are recovering.

Liow also urged the public to be aware of the bacteria and take care of their hygiene when they go camping.

"Seek immediate medical treatment if you suffer from symptoms such as fever especially after visiting camping areas," he said adding that the Maran waterfall, which, at the moment is cordoned off, will be reopened once test results of the water samples taken is confirmed safe.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/14/nation/6659288&sec=nation

Wednesday July 14, 2010
Liow: Nothing mysterious about rescuers? deaths


KUALA LUMPUR: The deaths of six villagers within a week of their taking part in a search and rescue operation for a drowning victim at the Lubuk Yu waterfall in Maran were not due to any mysterious disease.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, refuting reports in certain media, reiterated that the six were affected by two different strains of bacteria ? leptospirosis and melioidosis ? that were quite common in many tropical countries.

Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water- and earth-borne bacteria.

?We know how to treat the condition, we have the antibiotics for it,? Liow said after opening the APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition 2010 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.

On July 10, he had said the villagers succumbed to bacterial infection due to delayed medical treatment.

?Those who show any symptoms of fever after camping trips should seek imme-diate treatment,? he said. Seven other people undergoing treatment ? three reported to be at Temerloh Hospital, two at Jengka Hospital and one each at Selayang Hospital and Kuantan Medical Centre ? were recovering.

?Water samples had been taken for analysis,? Liow said. ?The area is cordoned off until the all-clear is given.?

In a statement, Green Technology, Energy and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said the Pahang Water Supply Department, which has two water treatment plants downstream of the waterfall, had been taking precautionary measures.

He added the locals should have nothing to worry and that the water supplied was safe for consumption.

In Kuantan, three more villagers who volunteered in the same search and rescue operation were admitted in Jengka Pusat Hospital on Monday after they were suspected to be affected by leptospirosis and melioidosis.

Their condition was reported as stable.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

This is from one Chinese press source

Updated : July 13, 2010 22:07


Water, the filtration and disinfection
Officials: be safe to drink
( Heat 13, Sungai AP) tap water by filtration and disinfection , it can destroy bacteria in urine rat , residents can feel at ease to drink , do not worry !
Land distribution from dozens of public right- foot waterfall crossing Ulu Treasures of a reservoir of anonymity , officials said test results , collected from the same river water , filtered and disinfected , was proven to be safe to drink , Residents do not worry .

He stressed that the water contained in news reports as true of the two pathogens , the pasteurized , it will all be destroyed and will not endanger the health of consumers .

Speed handling test procedures

On the other hand , Sungai heat Volunteer Fire Brigade Association and Chairman of MCA Youth Support team leader Yao Sungai heat all that the incident occurred 5 km from the city , therefore , the activities in the urban area outside the village and everyone goes without worry .

He said that the source of the disease is not in the urban area , the people at the same time without repeated the baseless assertion , to avoid panic , with Sungai heat are not to wear a mask , confirmed the situation under control , people Needless to stress .

When he interviewed , so that .

He hoped that , by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liao Lai pay more attention to events, expedite the processing of testing procedures , but also a more transparent approach to blood tests .

He said while hospitals do not conflict with the special counters set up a blood test to security people .
Another new part in the rescue work CHEN Han (42) pointed out that the rescue work for many days , today was a bit tired , if the situation fail to improve will go to the hospital by a blood test cards .

He does not deny participation in rescue work because of bodily discomfort .

Sungai heat in the urban areas of business are lamenting poor business, we hope to obtain the source of the disease the answer without further disrupt people's lives.

Land distribution in addition to police officers stationed at the right waterfall , many wizards to the area for ceremonies , there are also boat rub salt in the water sprinkling meters to pray their way bad luck , evil operation

http://chinapress.com.my/content_new.asp?dt=2010-07-14&sec=local&art=0714le03.txt
I think the main point of local peoples concern is the fact that the local resevoir uses water from the same source as that thought to be infectious


Clinics near Lubuk Yu beefed up
2010/07/12

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has deployed more health workers to rural clinics near the Lubuk Yu recreational forest in Maran following the death of six villagers there from bacterial infections.
Five of them died of melioidosis, from contaminated water and soil, and the sixth person died of leptospirosis, from rat urine.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the condition of seven other villagers were stable and they were recovering at hospitals in Jengka, Temerloh, Kuantan and Selayang.


He was speaking after officiating at the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society-Malaysian Medical Association seminar 2010 at Jalan Tun Razak here yesterday.


"There have been no other cases so far, but we have urged the villagers to get treatment from the rural clinics if they develop a high fever. Unlike viral infections, such as influenza A or H1N1, bacterial infections can be cured with antibiotics. So, there is no need to panic."



Read more: Clinics near Lubuk Yu beefed up http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10tikus/Article/#ixzz0tcwASUBN

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

No mystery in Lubuk Yu deaths, says Liow
2010/07/14

KUALA LUMPUR: It was bacterial infection and not a mysterious ailment that killed the six villagers who took part in a search-and-rescue operation at the Lubuk Yu recreational forest in Maran, Pahang.
.....

He confirmed that five of the villagers had died of melioidosis ?caused by a water and soil-borne bacteria ?while the sixth person died of leptospirosis (caused by bacteria in rat urine).


They were among 83 people, comprising 56 search-and-rescue personnel and 27 villagers involved in an operation to look for Mohd Azhar Azizam, 28, who drowned. His body was recovered on June 30.


A senior consultant in medical microbiology at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Professor S.D. Puthucheary, said that the disease was endemic in Malaysia, with many cases reported in Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang.
Statistics showed that over the past few years, an average of 35 cases were reported annually in Sabah, half of them resulting in death.
Melioidosis is caused by the soil bacteria rising to the surface during heavy rainfall and mixing with water.


The bacteria enters the body through con - tact with contaminated soil or water. Symptoms include fever, pneumonia, anorexia, chest pains and muscle soreness. There is no vaccine but it can be treated with antibiotics if detected early.


Diagnosis is done by a microscopic evaluation of a saliva sample.


Liow said people who returned from camping and swimming should seek immediate medical help if they showed symptoms.


Seven people have been admitted to hospitals ? three at Temerloh Hospital, two at Jengka Hospital and one each at Selayang Hospital and Kuantan Medical Centre.


Meanwhile, the Lubuk Yu waterfall was properly closed to the public yesterday. The authorities barricaded the road to the popular tourist spot. A huge sign was put up to inform the public of the temporary closure. A yellow police tape was also strung across the road.


Villagers there said they were happy with the measures taken to close the place while investigations into the deaths of the six villagers were still under way.


Pahang Health Committee chairman Datuk Hon Khai Mun said the number of those believed to have been exposed to the bacteria during the search operation jumped from 83 to 110.


He said the authorities had traced six more people yesterday and were monitoring their condition.


He said extra medical assistants were sent to the Sungai Jerik health clinic to help cope with the rising number of villagers seeking treatment from neighbouring areas



Read more: No mystery in Lubuk Yu deaths, says Liow http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/NomysteryinLubukYudeaths_saysLiow/Article/#ixzz0teGMuaFi
...

PUTRAJAYA: Pahang residents have been assured that water supply from the Ulu Jempol and Jengka water treatment plants are safe for consumption.

Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said the ministry?sWater Supply Department had taken pre - ventive measures at the two water treatment plants.
?Several water samples were obtained from the two plants? water distribution system to ensure there was a sufficient level of chlorine to kill germs as required by the Health Ministry,? he said in a statement here yesterday.

Chin said the water treatment plants supplied water to about 20,000 residents.


Six villagers involved in an operation to find a drowning victim in the Lubuk Yu recreational forest in Maran, Pahang, were reported to have died of leptospirosis and melioidosis due to bacteria infection. The operation began from to June 26 to 30. ?Bernama Parti Keadilan Rakyat strategic director Tian Chua says there is no intention to boycott Sin Chew Daily and urges all media to report truthfully



Read more: No mystery in Lubuk Yu deaths, says Liow http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/NomysteryinLubukYudeaths_saysLiow/Article/#ixzz0teF3myqH

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

TWO DISCHARGED, TWO NEW SUSPECTED CASES REPORTED IN LUBUK YU INCIDENT
Bernama - Thursday, July 15SendIM StoryPrint.KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- Two new suspected cases of Melioidiosis and Leptospirosis have been reported among the 110 people who had helped search for a drowned man last month in the Lubuk Yu recreational area in Maran, Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said today.

He said they had been admitted to hospital and the total number now under treatment was six, including one in the Selayang Hospital. They were all in stable condition, he added.

Two people were earlier discharged from hospital, he said in a statement.

He also said that laboratory tests of water samples taken from the area showed the presence of the Leptospira bacteria and a screening conducted in the villages found six villagers having fever and they were admitted to hospital for more tests.

"They are in stable condition. The six villagers had not taken part in the search operation and, as such, the chances of them having contracted Leptospirosis and Melioidiosis are slim," he said.

-- MORE

ISMAIL-DISEASE 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

Dr Mohd Ismail advised the people not to panic as the disease was not contagious, and could only be contracted by exposure to water or soil contaminated by the bacteria.

"Those who have wounds on the skin are advised not to expose themselves to water suspected to have been contaminated with rat faeces such as rivers in parks," he said, adding that care should be taken to prevent the presence of the rodents in the home too to reduce the chances of infection.

Six men have died after having contracted the diseases when helping to search for the drowned man at the end of last month.

-- BERNAMA
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/bnm/20100714/tts-ismail-disease-bm-993ba14.html

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

July 14, 2010 19:28 PM

15 Detected Positive Bacterial Infections Melioidosis and Leptospirosis


KUANTAN, July 14 (Bernama) - Up to now 15 people confirmed infected with the bacteria Leptospirosis is found Melioidosis and Recreation Center Lubuk Yu, Maran, recently.

Chairman of the Local Government and Health Pahang Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said of the six people died, two have been allowed to leave the ward, a case monitored at home, while six more are still being treated in hospital.

"The case is still being treated in hospital is a case in Jengka Hospital, Selayang Hospital (one case), Kuantan Medical Centre (1), Hospital Temerloh (2) and Bentong Hospital (1)," he said in a press conference here.

He said all the treatment is in stable condition.

. According to the 15 cases, five cases of melioidosis confirmed as the three confirmed cases of melioidosis and leptospirosis, while the remainder are being investigated.

Six villagers died was among those involved in search and rescue operation of a drowning victim in Forest Recreational Lubuk Yu, Maran, Pahang between 26 and 30 June last, the reported death due to bacterial infection leptospirosis (rat urine) and melioidosis (bacteria caused by water and land) of about a week after the operation, in stages.

Hoh said the other 15 cases, there were six other cases that are categorized as "Patient Under Investigation" (Pui), which groups they are not categorized as exposed by the case definition, but never in Lubuk Yu.

Pui reported cases that involved four patients are now treated in Jengka Hospital, two at Gleneagles Hospital while the other is allowed to leave the ward.
http://translate.google.com.my/tran...countryMY&sa=N&tbs=ctr:countryMY,qdr:d&prmd=n

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

For completeness

Symptoms
Leptospiral infection in humans causes a range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Leptospirosis is a biphasic disease that begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, myalgias, intense headache). The first phase resolves, and the patient is briefly asymptomatic until the second phase begins. This is characterized by meningitis, liver damage (causing jaundice), and renal failure. The infection is often wrongly diagnosed due to the wide range of symptoms. This leads to a lower registered number of cases than actually exist. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rash. The symptoms in humans appear after a 4?14 day incubation period

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospirosis
As the original search took place 15 days ago, there should be no new cases infected in the first instance. The six new suspect cases, if positive, did not become infected during the search. Authorities appear to be taking a precautionary approach with their extended surveillance.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Yes, but the melioidosis can have a MUCH longer incubation period, and no, that's not a typo. Acute melioidosis also has a much higher untreated fatality rate than leptospirosis (90% according to elsewhere in this article), suggesting it is responsible for a larger share of the severe illnesses here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melioidosis

Acute melioidosis
In the subgroup of patients where an inoculating event was noted, the mean incubation period of acute melioidosis was 9 days (range 1–21 days).[29] Patients with latent melioidosis may be symptom free for decades; the longest period between presumed exposure and clinical presentation is 62 years.[30] The potential for prolonged incubation was recognized in US servicemen involved in the Vietnam War, and was referred to as the "Vietnamese time-bomb". There is a wide spectrum of severity; in chronic presentations, symptoms may last months, but fulminant infection, particularly associated with near-drowning, may present with severe symptoms over hours.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Agreed. Thank you Alert. It seems relapses are possible too! Mean incubation period of 9 days though - lets hope this situation resolves quickly.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Agreed. Thank you Alert. It seems relapses are possible too! Mean incubation period of 9 days though - lets hope this situation resolves quickly.

Melioidosis is nasty. The 110 people who were diving in the river are just about two-thirds of the way to the 21 day acute incubation period, but will unfortunately need to be extra cautious for the rest of their life (the Wikipedia article links to a case of chronic infection in 2003 whose exposure was during World War II). I have to imagine that the last acute exposures would be around June 30 (when they found the body), so we might still see acute cases through the 21st.

Post #3 actually indicates that one of the fatalities (the father of the drowned) had an incubation period of just hours (which is consistent with the wikipedia article which says that such things can occur with "near-drownings"). I have to imagine that individual must have spent the entire day in the water searching for his son.

Also, keep in mind as the bacteria is soil-borne, there may be exposures in the area that have nothing to do with the rescue attempt.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/11lu/Article/art_print

15 hit by Lubuk Yu infections
By T.N. Alagesh
news@nst.com.my
2010/07/15


KUANTAN: The Pahang Health Department yesterday said that 15 people were believed to have contracted melioidosis and leptospirosis at the Lubuk Yu recreational area near Maran.
State Environment and Health Committee chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said of figure, six had died while two others were allowed to go home and one was being monitored at home.

He said five were still being treated at the Jengka Hospital, Selayang Hospital, Kuantan Medical Centre and Bentong Hospital.

One was admitted to the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.

Hoh said of the 15 cases, five were confirmed to be melioidosis while three had both melioidosis and leptospirosis.

The seven other patients were still under investigation.

"Six other villagers have also been categorised as patients under investigation as they were not part of the search-and-rescue operation but had been present at the waterfall during the operation.

"Four are under observation at Jengka Pusat Hospital and two others at the Gleneagles Hospital in Kuala Lumpur," he said yesterday.

The news on the infection unfolded when six men died one week after they were infected by the diseases during an operation to locate drowning victim Mohd Azhar Azizam, 28, on June 26 at Lubuk Yu.

They were Azizam Abdullah, 58, Timothy Hoo Seng Heng, 29, Lim Sin Lai, 55, Mohd Shah, 60, Zakaria Ayub, 52, and Zainal Abidin Ismail, 56.

Eighty-three people comprising rescuers and local people were involved in the search operation from June 26 to 30.

The state Health Department said it needed about two months to clean up the recreational area before reopening it.

State secretary Datuk Muhammad Safian Ismail said during the period, the nearby forest at the Lubuk Yu waterfall would also be off limits to the public.

"Clean-up operations are expected to start next week. The place is already closed," he said.

On Saturday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told the Forestry Department, which maintained the site, and the Health Department to conduct clean-up operations at the waterfall area.

 

[alert]

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

Re: Malaysia: Six Die Of Leptospirosis, Melioidosis After Rescue Ops

The blog below is from someone in Temerloh who is ill with an unidentified illness that sounds vaguely similar - probably not related, but don't know.

http://deniseyanyan.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, July 14, 2010Random
I still can't figure out what happened to my blog's layout. Tried adjusting it for many times it still looks like that. I think I'm just gonna leave it as it is. I think the only way to fix it is to register another new blog name, and start all over again. I just don't have the mood and energy to do so.

As from the above title, this is a very random post. Rather than surfing aimlessly on the internet, I better blog something up to keep track with what I had been doing lately (no, I am not too free. I have lots of work to do, just that I am still procrastinating in doing it).

Last weekend, we went over to BBQ Plaza to celebrate Boon's farewell (she will be going to Singapore to work soon). The attendees were me, FaiFai, James and of course, Boon. We had not seen each other for a long time after we left the college. Even if we met, we met separately. The whole lunch session was fun, as usual we ordered a lot of pork sets and this time we tried beef set.



Boon with the foods


Unfortunately, the next day I had fever. I don't know it's because of the food I eaten or I am just unhealthy. I skipped morning's class and attended only the afternoon class (because I need to clarify some assignment queries with the lecturer). My fever was on and off and I thought I got dengue fever. Anyway I still packed and came back to Temerloh on Monday, just in case if I fainted there's still people who can send me to hospital.


Throughout the week, I got fever, diarrhea, vomit, headache, dizziness. I thought I am going to die. I go through everyday thinking what kind of disease I had infected. The worst is that I had an assignment to submit on that weekend as well. I'm so demotivated to do anything at all so I just simply completed the assignment without thinking much. Towards the weekend, my condition did not get any better. On one of the days I got red rashes all over my body (include my face). That's when I think die la this time confirm is dengue fever. But, weirdly I don't have fever. The rashes are not itchy as well. Those red patches stayed on my body for a few days and it gotten serious at night, especially when I sleep. It only feels itchy when I sleep. I could not get enough good sleep throughout the weekend.


At last, another weekend had passed. On the Monday (a different Monday) mom fetched me to see the doctor right after I got down from bus because I still have lots of 'wind' in my stomach and I still feel dizzy and headache. The doctor measured my blood pressure, and it shocked him that I had low blood pressure. No wonder I felt dizzy all along, because my blood pressure is low. He said I lacked of water (did not drink enough water, hence I am quite dehydrated) and my condition will turn better if I drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables and rest properly.


Hence, now I am drinking my water (more than usual). I eat whatever fruits I can find from the kitchen (not really. Green apples, oranges, bananas turn me OFF). I exercise at least 20 minutes daily (I jogged using the jogging machine) to get myself sweat. I make up every morning (I used to NOT make up) because I feel when you are beautiful, you will feel more energetic. I wear contact lenses every morning (so that I can put on my make up ). I vowed to live healthily from now on (because I am sick of being SICK).
I am still procrastinating in doing my work. I guess I should change this habit. So I better end this post now and focus on my journal review. This coming weekend is Grandma's birthday. And I am gonna skip class again. The bad side of having weekend class. I need to skip my class whenever there are functions in the weekends.