Melioidosis, leptospirosis rarely spread through people – Soon Koh

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Melioidosis, leptospirosis - Photo From File

KUCHING: There is no need for individuals diagnosed with melioidosis or leptospirosis to be quarantined as the disease rarely spreads through people, Environment and Public Health Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said yesterday.

He explained that both diseases, which had claimed five lives each so far this year, were unlike H1N1 where patients had to be isolated.

“They (those suffering from melioidosis or leptospirosis) need not be quarantined. All they need to do is once they develop any symptoms they have to seek immediate treatment. That is important,” said Wong.

Speaking at a news conference here yesterday, Wong said melioidosis had always been present in the state but had not been diagnosed as such until recently when diagnostic facilities for isolation and confirmation were available here towards the end of last year.

Melioidosis is a bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei and is widespread in Southeast Asia. It was first isolated in Burma in 1911 but Thailand has consistently reported more cases of melioidosis than any other countries.

The annual incidence in Thailand is estimated to be between 2,000 and 5,000 patients.

It is believed that the disease is common among farmers and those who worked in paddy fields and jungles.

Wong said from Jan 1 till August 3 this year, 35 cases of melioidosis were detected in the state, compared to 343 last year.

The districts that reported the most cases this year are Kapit (15), Belaga (12), Tatau (two) and one each from Kuching, Serian, Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Selangau and Bintulu.

“Last year, 17 deaths due to this disease were reported, compared with five deaths this year. However, none of those who died from melioidosis this year are locals from Bakun,” he said.

Wong said the number of melioidosis cases reported thus far was not a cause for alarm. Nevertheless, he said, the Health Department would continue to educate the public on the disease, especially in areas where clusters were reported.
According to the department’s record, two clusters had been reported in the state this year alone. The first cluster is in Bakun Hydroelectric Project (BHEP) in Belaga and the second in Iron Wall Logging Camp in Kapit, with three cases each.

The report added that in most of the cases, the predisposing factor was related to working condition, which involved contact with soil. Bakun is classified as an endemic area for melioidosis, where the earliest cases were reported in 2006 during which three foreigners working on the Bakun HEP were reported to have died due this disease.

In 2007 and 2008, two foreigner workers there were reported to have suffered from the disease but fortunately they survived.

On leptospirosis, Wong said the cases were sporadic and no cluster or outbreak had being detected so far.

He said from Jan 1 till Aug 3 this year, 56 cases were reported in the state against 49 last year.

So far this year there had been five deaths due to the disease, compared to only one for the whole of last year.

Among places which reported the most cases are Kuching (8), Sri Aman (6), Miri (5), Lubok Antu (5), Belaga (4), Bintulu (4), Kapit (3) and Kanowit (2).

In most of the cases, the predisposing factor is poor and the environment is unhealthy as evidenced by the presence of rats, especially at workplace, and unsafe source of drinking water.