KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has identified its first case of the H1N1 virus in a human, the Malaysiakini website (www.malaysiakini.com) reported on Friday, citing the Health Ministry's Director-General, Ismail Merican.
There was no immediate comment from the ministry and the Malaysiakini report said the patient had returned from a visit to the US.
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What is swine flu?
Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren't the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It's caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person -- and it's happening among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.
What are swine flu symptoms?
Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu or some other condition.
If I think I have swine flu, what should I do? When should I see my doctor?
If you have flu symptoms, stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. That will help prevent your flu from spreading.
If you've got flu symptoms, and you've recently been to a high-risk area like Mexico, CDC officials recommend that you see your doctor. If you have flu symptoms but you haven't been in a high-risk area, you can still see a doctor -- that's your call.
Keep in mind that your doctor will not be able to determine whether you have swine flu, but he or she would take a sample from you and send it to a state health department lab for testing to see if it's swine flu. If your doctor suspects swine flu, he or she would be able to write you a prescription for Tamiflu or Relenza. Those drugs may not be required; U.S. swine flu patients have made a full recovery without it.
ReutersThis colourised image depicts the A H1N1 swine flu virus from a previous outbreak in 1976
KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has the vaccine for swine flu which can be used to stop the spread of the disease to this country.
Veterinary Services director-general Datuk Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin said the H1N1 vaccine should be injected into pigs as a preventive measure following reports of 81 people killed by the swine flu in Mexico.
He told Bernama that the department was only waiting for the directive from the Health Ministry to carry out vaccination on the livestock.
He believed that the H1N1 vaccine was also used by pig farms in other countries as a preventive measure against swine flu.
Dr Abd Aziz also disclosed that Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had issued a directive to all State Veterinary Services directors to monitor pig farms in their respective states as a precaution and to report on any sign of swine flu infection.
"Stern action will be taken against them if they fail to do this. They must also ensure that all the pig breeders follow instructions like their workers must wear masks," he said.
Dr Abd Aziz said state livestock breeders' associations were required to cooperate with the Veterinary Services Department by reporting on any symptom of swine flu.
"If their workers have similar symptoms for influenza, high fever, sore throat and body aches, they must be given leave and undergo medical examination immediately."
Dr Abd Aziz said so far the department had not received any report of swine flu symptoms in the country, while the disease also had the potential of being spread to birds but the possibility was remote.
"If avian flu can spread through food like by eating chicken, swine flu cannot be spread by eating pork but through human contact," he said.
More information on the swine flu can be obtained by calling 03-88810200 or 03-88810300, or by visiting website www.moh.gov.my.
-- BERNAMA
