KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman called on Sabahans to pitch in to combat the spread of Zika by cleaning up their surroundings.
Kota Kinabalu City Hall and local authorities across the state were told to mount gotong-royong activities while elected representatives and community leaders have been urged to be proactive to prevent their areas from becoming breeding grounds for mosquitos in light of the first Zika virus infection on Sept 2.
"This matter is not to be taken lightly. We all must play our roles and keep our surroundings clean and not play hosts to mosquitos that spread diseases like dengue and the even more worrying Zika virus," he said.
Musa also told local authorities to use the full force of the law against those who ignore calls to clean up their surroundings, especially construction sites that often become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Yesterday, Health Department director general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that a 61-year-old man from Sabah was the second Malaysian tested positive for Zika.
He was also the first locally transmitted Zika patient.
The patient however died yesterday due to heart problems.
Malaysia’s first Zika patient was a 58-year-old woman from Klang, who contracted the virus after visiting Singapore.