KUCHING: Only the Ministry of Health can use and issue the word ‘outbreak’ when it officially announces the spread of an infectious or contagious disease to the media.
Deputy state director of Health (Public Health) Dr Jamilah Hashim clarified this yesterday, saying the term was often ‘abused’ and wrongly used to describe the spread of disease and sometimes ‘inserted’ erroneously in news reports.
“The term ‘outbreak’ is when the victim is ‘epidemiologically linked’ to one another and for example if two persons get sick from dengue from the same
school or house, meaning from the same source, then the term ‘outbreak’ can be used but only the ministry is allowed to use
the terminology,” she told reporters after yesterday’s launching of the website for the International Environmental Health Conference to be held here from Oct 27-28.
“So, the media report on using the word ‘outbreak’ is not right and it can cause panic among the general public and also the ministry,” she added.
Dr Jamilah hoped that usage of the terminology is exclusive and if need be, the media can seek the right figures from their department on a contagious disease as they are ever willing to share information and explanations.
“On the number of cases of dengue in the state, it is under control and there is no outbreak contrary to news report(s) and this applies to hand mouth and foot disease (HMFD),” she pointed out.
Dr Jamilah said the number of dengue cases in the entire country is more than 10,000 with the highest figure recorded in Klang Valley – and the government and ministry are alert to this situation.
For Sarawak, the “cumulative” figure on week ending March 9, 2015, or the ninth week in 2015 dengue cases were 599 throughout the state with Sibu Division having the highest cumulative figure of 371 which was added on from the early part of the year.
In Sibu’s case, the cumulative figure last week on March 7 was 32 cases and before that it was in mid-70s, so the figure is said to be decreasing. Dr Jamilah said this is not an outbreak as the cases came from various areas and not from the same source and had not ‘epidemiologically linked’.
“It is on the ‘alert’ line but the trend is coming down,” she reiterated.
Dr Jamilah said although dengue cases in Sibu are decreasing, it is very difficult to assess future recurrences as it is related to the surroundings where the Aedes mosquito can breed.
“The area(s) in Sibu where the cases occurred are related to dirty environments as often the area is submerged by water and this is not very healthy as the disease can occur and recur,” she lamented.
Dr Jamillah reminded again that the Health Department is the main advocate of preventing this disease and others.
She said the disease occurs because of three factors – environment, host and the agent – germs and bacteria.
“If we can cut off one these three factors, either environment, host or agent, then we can prevent the disease and the effort to eradicate all this must come from not only the authority but the general public,” she said.