First case of pregnant woman infected with Zika in Malaysia confirmed

Two confirmed Zika Virus cases in the country has had no impact on the local Tourism Industry thus far said Tourism Malaysia (Domestic Promotion Division) director Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof.

The 27-year-old Chinese woman is about four months pregnant with her first child and lives in Johor Baru, Malaysian Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam told reporters yesterday. The first was an imported case from Singapore, while the second and third cases were locally transmitted cases in Sabah and Johor.

Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized, besides other brain abnormalities.

“However, the husband commutes daily for work to Geylang, Singapore”, Subramaniam said.

Since a sudden outbreak of Zika in Singapore, Malaysian health authorities have been on high alert, worrying about apathy among many Malaysian people towards Aedes mosquitoes, the major transmitter of the virus as well as dengue. She was later taken to the government hospital where she was tested positive for the virus.

As for men confirmed to be infected, he said, they should practise safe sex or abstain for six months.

Since the beginning of September, just three cases of Zika have been confirmed in Malaysia.

At a news conference in Putrajaya, Subramaniam said, “It’s still unclear whether the woman contracted the disease from her husband or whether it was locally transmitted”, Reuters reported.

He said vector control measures had been implemented immediately in Johor Bahru, including in the vicinity of the woman’s house.

The pregnant woman came down with a rash, fever and body aches last Friday, and visited a hospital to seek treatment on Monday.

Until Tuesday, there were 30 reported cases of signs and symptoms similar to Zika but all were found to be negative.