Published: Tuesday February 14, 2012 MYT 7:08:00 PM

251 new cases of AGE reported in Perak

IPOH: Another 251 new cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) have been reported in the Batang Padang and Hilir Perak districts, with 15 more patients warded at the Tapah and Teluk Intan hospitals.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said 180 of the cases were recorded in Hilir Perak while the remaining 71 cases in Batang Padang.

“As of Feb 14, the total number of cases has reached 3,068. Since the start of the outbreak on Jan 27, there have been 1,990 cases reported in Hilir Perak and 1,078 cases in Batang Padang,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Dr Mah said all patients were in stable condition and no new deaths were reported.

He added that nine patients were discharged from both hospitals on Tuesday.

In another matter, Dr Mah said Pangkor Island had nothing to do with the recent outbreak of chikungunya fever in Kuang, Selangor, where 22 students and lecturers from a private college tested positive for the disease.

He said checks by the health authorities had found no traces of chikungunya at all resorts on the island.

He said that although the students and lecturers tested positive upon returning from a course at a resort in Teluk Nipah, there was no evidence to show that they had actually contracted the disease during their stay on the island.

“As of now, there are no chikungunya cases recorded in the state. They may have contracted the disease elsewhere,” Dr Mah said.

Chikungunya is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito which also spreads dengue fever.

Among the symptoms shown by patients with chikungunya are fever, cough, head and body aches as well as joint pains.

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