Seven People Tested Positive For H1N1 Flu Virus In Sabah

Sabah Health department is taking highest precaution to prevent further spread of the influenza A (H1N1) following the recent detection of seven cases at a hospital here.

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Hospital director Dr Tan Bee Hwai said five children and two adult caregivers had been tested positive for the flu virus.

At press time, the source of infection has yet to sort out.
A source close to the affected hospital said that a warded child with kidney disease was the first case identified on Jan 29 before others were tested positive during the massive screening.

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As a result, the entire ward at the hospital located some 10kms from downtown Kota Kinabalu has been quarantined.

“This includes the patients, the caregivers and staff of the ward,” he said when contacted by The Star on Thursday.

“Our priority for now is stopping the transmission that includes quarantining the ward concerned as well as getting everyone to practice personal hygiene including things like washing hands frequently apart from using face masks,” Dr Tan added.

"The involved ward has been disinfected while an operation centre has been opened on Tuesday to control the situation.

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A 10km area around the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital has been placed on high alert after the H1N1 virus was detected in the hospital.

It is understood that screening of patients, their parents or caregivers and staff at the hospital began two days ago.

Though medical officials have not stated when the outbreak occurred, staff who had been working since Jan 8 had been asked to undergo the screening.

"Staff are instructed to take leave if they were sick, as well as heighten hygiene practice including proper hand-washing, wearing face mask among others," she said, adding that the hospital also has started to limit visitors.

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He said medical officials were also trying to track down the source of the H1N1 outbreak.

A source from the hospital said as of now their conditions are all under control after the first incident was discovered on Jan 29.

"Their conditions are curable as the hospital has been equipped with necessary medication following the virus outbreak in 2009," he said.

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Those patients including five children and two adults at Likas Women and Children's hospital here are reportedly well at press time.

Its director Dr Christina Rundi, in yesterday's statement, said that anti-viral drug had been administered to patients and screened another 24 others at risk of exposed to the virus.

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The news of the outbreak was leaked after an SMS message, believed from Sabah Health Department Director Dr Christina Rundi began to circulate.

The H1N1 virus flu is now more akin to a type of seasonal flu and is no longer regarded as a pandemic, says Health Ministry’s deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman.

He said the incident where several people were found with H1N1 flu at the Likas Children’s and Women’s hospital was an isolated case as “clusters” of H1N1 could still occur.

“Investigations are ongoing. The hospital can be a possible area of clustering. It (the flu) could have been brought in from outside,” he added.

“H1N1 is no longer a critical virus. When the virus was endemic, global immunity was built up. It was so endemic then that the chances are that we have antibodies against it.

“This is unlike the H7N9 which we are keeping a close watch on as we do not have immunity against it,” he said.