DUBAI: Health officials in Malaysia have confirmed that two children have been killed and another 3,000 ill as a result of a rotavirus outbreak in the northern part of the country. More and more people from the region are looking for treatment, health officials told Bikyamasr.com on Wednesday. The outbreak occurred in late January and has been concentrated, and reportedly contained, to the state of Perak some 200 kilometers north of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Perak's top health official Mah Hang Soon's office told Bikyamasr.com that “right now it appears to be under control and we are monitoring the situation extremely close.” He said the rotavirus infection causes nausea, fever, headaches, vomiting and diarrhoea. The virus gets its name from its wheel-shaped structure. Rotavirus is usually transmitted through food and water, but initial tests conducted by Malaysian health authorities on water samples from various sources in the affected areas were negative for the virus. The country is hopeful that the virus can be contained and killed off, and health officials have called on Kuala Lumpur to implement new strategies to bolster infrastructure in rural areas in order to prevent further outbreaks of the virus and other illnesses. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/9Vzyi Tags: Death, Malaysia, Rotavirus Section: East Asia, Health, Latest News
