SEREMBAN: A six-year-old boy was confirmed to have contracted Japanese Encephalitis (JE), after he was admitted into the Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Hospital (HTJ) intensive care unit last month.
Negri Sembilan health director Dr Abdul Rahim Abdullah said the boy, from Kuala Pilah, had been receiving treatment at HTJ since May 20.
“He was first admitted to the Tuanku Najihah Hospital on May 18, but was transferred to HTJ after his condition worsened.”
“The blood test results have confirmed that the boy is JE-positive. We will continue to monitor his condition,” said Abdul Rahim.
He added that there was no indication so far that all three JE cases recorded in state this year were related.
Japanese encephalitis is a type of viral brain infection that is spread through mosquito bites. Domestic pigs and wild birds are reservoirs of the virus; transmission to humans may cause severe symptoms.
In 1998, Malaysia experienced a JE virus outbreak, which spread quickly from the Kinta Valley, Perak to around 250 km south in Sikamat and Bukit Pelanduk in Negri Sembilan.
By April 2, 1999, there were 69 deaths in Malaysia with the majority in Bukit Pelanduk.