Pahang Orang Asli children struck with almost eradicated Malaria
Earlier this week, Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad spoke to the press about the Orang Asli in Pos Lenjang, Kuala Lipis in Pahang who were affected by a malaria outbreak.
He reports that 15 Orang Asli children between the ages of 4 and 10 from Kampung Pagar and Kampung Serdang are hospitalised at Hospital Kuala Lipis.
The children are stable and currently being prescribed antimalarial medication.
The cause of this outbreak is currently being investigated, as the last reported case of malaria in the area was in 2011.
393 blood samples have been taken from the Orang Asli villagers in the 2 villages to be examined.
Prof Datuk Dr. Adeeba KamaÂrulzaman, Universiti Malaya Faculty of Medicine Dean and a consultant in internal medicine and infectious diseases explained further on the mosquito-borne disease affecting these Orang Asli people.
The malaria outbreak that was currently affecting the Pahang Orang Asli are of a mild form and is curable over a course antimalarials.
There is sufficient medicine and anti-malaria drug supply.
Dr Adeeba via NST
Unlike dengue (which is currently on the rise), malaria is on the brink of eradication
in Malaysia, as targeted by WHO.
Malaysia also has the lowest prevalence of malaria in the Southeast Asian region when compared to our neighbours.
Although both malaria and dengue are mosquito-borne diseases, they are transmitted through 2 different types of mosquitoes; Anopheles for malaria, and Aedes for dengue.
We have summarised the differences between these two mosquitoes in a diagrammatic representation we found on the Internet.
What’s the difference between #aedes #mosquito and #anopheles? from http://t.co/CpkVA6hryE #dengue #malaria pic.twitter.com/YDgzql1k6z
— Moka (@moka_mosquito) September 4, 2015
The Health Ministry’s official Twitter account has also released a poster to educate the public about malaria and it’s symptoms.
15 Orang Asli dari dua kampung di Kuala Lipis dirawat di hospital kerana Demam Malaria dan keadaan stabil.
Mereka mengalami malaria jangkitan plasmodium vivax.
Punca jangkitan sedang disiasat kerana kali terakhir kes malaria dilapor di kampung itu ialah 8 thn lalu. pic.twitter.com/jGJ0HoIE38
— KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) July 15, 2019
