Malaysian Health Minister Sathasivam Subramaniam said that the first case of a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus in Malaysia was confirmed on Wednesday (7 September).
The Malaysian woman reportedly had a fever, rashes, and body ache.
The Minister said that the woman is 3 to 4 months pregnant, who lives in Taman Desa Harmoni, Johor Bahru.
He also advised members of public whose spouse are infected with Zika to avoid sex or take precautions for at least six months to avoid pregnancy.
Dr Subramaniam confirmed that Malaysia did not perform spraying of incoming vehicles at the land checkpoints with disinfectant and insect repellent as a safety precaution. However, the government advised travellers to spray the vehicles by themselves before entering Malaysia.
He stated that he expected the numbers if Zika virus infection to be increased, due to the close proximity of Johor and Singapore. To control the growth of the disease, Dr Subramaniam said that the government has increased the aedes control measures in Johor Bahru and around the house of the patient.
This is the third case reported in Malaysia. The first one was reported on 21 August that a 58-year-old woman from Klang who had visited Singapore earlier. The second one was a 61-year-old man who then passed away due to heart-related complication on Saturday (3 September).
