meningitis

Monday May 11, 2009
Seven more JPJ trainees hit by meningitis while 449 quarantined
By MARTIN CARVALHO

MALACCA: Another seven trainees from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) academy in Tiang Dua, Malacca, have been admitted to the general hospital here for suspected meningitis – bringing the number of those hospitalised to 20.

Over at the academy, 93 of the 449 quarantined trainees and staff were placed away from the rest after having sniffles, coughs and low grade fever, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who is expected to announce today the exact type of bacteria that is responsible for the outbreak.

Incubation of the bacteria was carried out at 2am yesterday at the Sungai Buloh Microbiology Centre. The process took between 14 and 16 hours.
Liow stressed that the outbreak was a result of bacterial infection, not viral in nature as speculated by certain quarters.

“The Influenza A(H1N1) virus has nothing to do with it,” he said after visiting the warded trainees. Asked when the quarantine at the academy would be lifted, Liow said it would usually last for seven days to ensure those needing medication completed their course of antibiotics.
The meningitis outbreak at the academy was detected on May 7 when nine trainees were referred to the hospital here after they complained of fever, cough, headaches, and joint pains.

On May 4, trainee Mohd Hafiz Zainudin, 24, from Kota Baru, Kelantan, succumbed to the infection while being rushed to the hospital here.

Another trainee from Penang was initially warded at the intensive care unit at Bukit Mertajam Hospital when he returned home for the Workers’ Day break, and is currently recovering at the Kepala Batas Hospital.

-thestar online

nota kaki : sila doakan untuk dieorang eh.. [cik kiah selesema ari ni uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...]