Malaysia suspects new Zika virus type

Malaysian Minister of Health S. Subramaniam said on September 15 a pregnant woman, 35, in Miri city, Sarawak state’s capital city, and her elder sister, 39, in Setapak area, Kuala Lumpur, were the fifth and sixth Zika virus patients in the country. 

Minister Subramaniam said that the pregnant woman went to Singapore in July, but it has been too long a time for an infection, leading to suspicion that Zika virus may exist in the area. 

According to Miri city’s health office, Aedes mosquitoes, which are the carrier of the Zika virus, were found in many places in the area where the pregnant woman lives. 

At the same time, the minister did not exclude the possibility that it can take more time for Zika virus to reveal itself on a pregnant woman, which is a concern for Malaysian health authorities. 

The IMR is trying to determine if the virus found in the woman is the same type with Zika virus in Tahiti or another type of the virus. 

On August 26, the pregnant woman’s sister visited her in Miri and returned to Kuala Lumpur and this might explain the spread of the virus. 

Malaysia confirmed the first Zika-infected case on September 1. The patient was a 58-year-old woman in Klang, Selangor State who was reported to get infected with the virus after returning from Singapore. 

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.5 million people have contracted Zika virus so far.