A staff is spraying sterilised chemicals in Malaysia. (Source: EPA/VNA)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia’s Institute for Medical Research ( IMR ) has been carrying out tests to determine the type of Zika virus on two new patients.
Malaysian Minister of Health S. Subramaniam said on September 15 a pregnant woman, 35, in Miri city, Sarawak state’s capital city, and her elder sister, 39, in Setapak area, Kuala Lumpur, were the fifth and sixth Zika virus patients in the country.
Minister Subramaniam said that the pregnant woman went to Singapore in July, but it has been too long a time for an infection, leading to suspicion that Zika virus may exist in the area.
According to Miri city’s health office, Aedes mosquitoes, which are the carrier of the Zika virus, were found in many places in the area where the pregnant woman lives.
At the same time, the minister did not exclude the possibility that it can take more time for Zika virus to reveal itself on a pregnant woman, which is a concern for Malaysian health authorities.
The IMR is trying to determine if the virus found in the woman is the same type with Zika virus in Tahiti or another type of the virus.
On August 26, the pregnant woman’s sister visited her in Miri and returned to Kuala Lumpur and this might explain the spread of the virus.
Malaysia confirmed the first Zika-infected case on September 1. The patient was a 58-year-old woman in Klang, Selangor State who was reported to get infected with the virus after returning from Singapore.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.5 million people have contracted Zika v𝔉irus so far.-VNA
The Ministry of Health has urged localities to take drastic prevention measures in response to an increase of Zika infections in Southeast Asian countries.
Malaysia has confirmed two other cases inflected with Zika virus, raising the total number of infections in the country to six, the Health Ministry reported on September 13.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
A staff is spraying sterilised chemicals in Malaysia. (Source: EPA/VNA)
