Via NST, excerpt :
" There are no new cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) reported in the country so far, making the cumulative number of the case to remain at one.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the incubation period of 14 days on other contacts exposed to MERS-CoV victim in Johor, ended yesterday.
"Cumulatively, a total of 222 contacts were detected across the country and all of them are currently in good health.
"Out of the 79 samples taken from the close contacts, none of them was tested positive for MERS-CoV," he said in a statement here today.
The only victim of MERS-CoV in the country was a 54-year-old man from Batu Pahat, Johor, who returned from the Holy Land on March 29."
Article via NST, excerpt :
" The intense monitoring on the 15 pilgrims who boarded a flight with the sole victim to die from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) recently has been extended for another two weeks.
Health Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam said the move was to ensure the pilgrims were completely free from the outbreak to prevent any spreading in the country.
The ministry, he said, would continue to conduct the monitoring of the outbreak seriously, especially at the nation's key entry-points.
"We will do the screenings which focussed on flights from the Middle East and on those who had returned from performing their Umrah pilgrimage," he told a press conference after launching the ministry's 'Jom Aktif' programme, here, yesterday."
Via Reuters, excerpt :
" Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had discovered 11 more cases of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including what appeared to be the first case in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
A health ministry statement said eight of the people were in intensive care, two were stable, including a 24-year-old Saudi man from the "holy capital" Mecca, and one showed no symptoms. Three of those affected worked in health care, it said."
Via NST :
" The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak that hit the country and claimed its first victim last week is under control, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.
He said all suspects, including 64 villagers from Kampung Bintang, Johor, tested negative for the disease.
However, he said, the ministry would continue to monitor the 18 passengers who travelled with the victim on a Turkish Airways flight.
"We have completed the special screening to detect the virus among the flight passengers, as well as in the village, where the first Malaysian victim who succumbed to the virus came from. All of them are clear of the disease.
"However, we will continue to monitor the others on the flight for another two weeks as they had made close contact with the victim," he said here yesterday.
Malaysia recorded its first death related to MERS after a 54-year-old man contracted the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) while performing umrah in Mecca.
The victim from Johor, who returned to Malaysia from Jeddah on March 29, developed a fever and respiratory problems and was warded at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Bahat on April 10. He died three days later.
Dr Subramaniam said this was the first case in Malaysia and the ministry had taken it seriously to prevent the disease from spreading.
On the cause of the disease, he said there was a high possibility the victim had contracted the virus from camels during his visit to the Middle East."
Via The Malay Mail :
" Fifteen Malaysian pilgrims were declared free of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) after an health checks showed they did not have any signs or symptoms of the disease.
The pilgrims had returned to Malaysia from the Holy land with a man who died of the virus."
Article via The Star, maybe its too soon to count the chickens before they hatch :
" The state health department have not detected any new cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) here.
State Health and Environment executive committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat assured that the virus was under control and said that things were looking good.
"It is however up to the health ministry to make an official declaration that the affected area is safe," he said after flagging off participants of a health run at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah here on Saturday.
Ayub added that so far the virus had killed a 54-year-old man last Sunday and other than him only one other person had been hospitalised after he was found to have symtoms of the virus.
" The man is a village head from Batu Pahat but he has since been discharged," he said.
He added that the house observation period for the 64 villagers in Kampung Bintang, Batu Pahat would also be lifted soon if they do not display symptoms of the virus.
"They are supposed to be under observation for a week," he said adding that the period ends on Sunday."
Via NST, excerpt :
" Villagers of Kampung Bintang here were carrying on with their lives as usual yesterday despite some being confined to their homes following the death of a man to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) on Sunday.
Villager Mustapha Ismail, 63, said the authorities did not place any restrictions on villagers and they were free to roam in the village.
"Only those who had direct contact with the deceased were ordered to be confined to their homes so that they can be monitored."
Mustapha said the villagers were ordered to undergo a check-up at a temporary health counter set up in the village."
Via Bernama :
" The villagers of Kg Bintang Laut in Batu Pahat, Johor, suspected of showing early symptoms of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been placed under home monitoring and not quarantined.
Director-General of Health, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said reports of quarantine in the local newspapers Friday were incorrect.
"Under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, the term 'quarantine' means isolation or observation and includes a hospital for contagious diseases and any premise gazetted as a quarantine station by the minister.
"As such, the statement that 64 villagers were quarantined is wrong," he said in a media statement in Putrajaya."
Via NST :
" Fifteen Malaysian pilgrims will only be declared free from contracting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) if they do not show any signs or symptoms in 42 days after being closely monitored by the Health Ministry.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said at the moment, the pilgrimage are undertaking health inspection to monitor their condition.
“After the “incubation period”, and no signs of symptoms showed, we will declare the virus as not contagious (towards other person),” he told reporters, after witnessing the handing over of six haemodialysis machine to the Haemodialysis Unit at Hospital Kajang here today.
Malaysia recorded its first MERS-CoV fatality when a man who returned from performing the umrah (minor haj) died die to the virus on April 13.
In this fatal MERS-CoV case, also the first in Asean, the 54-year-old man from Batu Pahat, Johor who returned from the Holy Land on March 29 complained of fever, cough and breathing difficulties for 10 days and was admitted to the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital on April 10.
The minister said investigations found the cause of death was severe Pneumonia Secondary to MERS-CoV.
Subramaniam said the ministry are now carrying preventive measures such as monitoring those who has close contacts with the victims.
In an earlier report, Subramaniam said for the time being, the source and method of the MERS-CoV infection has yet to be identified and also there were no vaccines available for the infection.
“We were told the victim who was a diabetic had visited a camel farm but it could not be confirmed whether the virus was contracted from the animals,” he said."
Via The Star :
" As many as sixty-four residents in Kampung Bintang here will be quarantined for a week after some showed symptoms of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Some 100 villagers from the village, where the first Malaysian victim who succumbed to the virus came from, underwent a special screening to detect the virus here Thursday.
Johor Health and Environment executive committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said that a special screening centre has been set up in the village to screen the villagers for the virus.
"This is the first such case in Malaysia, and we take this matter seriously. That is why we are taking steps to screen the villagers to prevent the virus from spreading," he said in a press conference here.
The 54-year-old victim, the first in Asia, developed respiratory complications after returning from Mecca."
Via The Star :
" The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has killed its first victim in Asia, a Malaysian man who developed respiratory complications after returning from Mecca.
The 54-year-old man, from Batu Pahat, Johor, had arrived in Malaysia on March 29 after performing the umrah.
He died on Apr 13 after being admitted to the Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail for three days, following complaints of fever, cough and breathing difficulties.
Passengers onboard the Turkish Airlines flights TK93 and TK60 on the Jeddah-Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur route on March 29 are urged to contact the Health Ministry for a health screening, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam."
