ALOR STAR – Eleven breeding grounds of the Culex Tritaenioryhncus and Culex Sitiens mosquitoes, which are carriers of the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus, have been detected in the Kota Setar district, said Kedah Health Director Dr Othman Warijo.
He said the breeding grounds were detected through an entomological study by the state Health Department, which is an epidemic control activity carried out from November 25 until yesterday.
“Until December 2, 2021, which was the eighth day of the outbreak, the number of JE cases reported in the outbreak locality remained at two cases, and both have died.
“Active case detection (ACD) has been carried out around the affected areas. A total of 674 (23%) of 2,926 residents in both localities were screened for symptoms of JE and there have been no residents found with symptoms,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Othman said a total of 291 (70.6%) of premises within a 400m radius of the patients’ homes were inspected, where 14 mosquito breeding containers were found and a total of 672ml of abate 500E BTI was used as larvicide.
He said thermal space spraying was also conducted at 412 premises on November 25 and 26, while ultra-low volume space spraying was conducted on November 25 and 27 covering 912 premises.
Dr Othman said it was also found that there were no pig farms around the outbreak locality, and surveys using drones along the nearby river also did not find any high-risk locations, except for the presence of migratory birds in the padi fields.
He advised residents in Kota Setar to take the necessary preventive measures, including avoiding mosquito bites and spraying mosquito repellent indoors.
“Ensure cleanliness of the environment and destroy mosquito breeding grounds, and for those with symptoms such as fever, headache and vomiting, please seek immediate medical treatment,” he said.
Last Sunday, the Kedah Health Department informed that two JE cases were detected in the Kota Setar district on November 18 and 25, respectively, and declared an outbreak of JE in the district. – Bernama, December 3, 2021
