19 NS trainees warded for suspected viral infection

Star: MALACCA: Nineteen trainees from the national service camp in Taboh Naning here have been warded for suspected viral infection while 45 others at the camp have been isolated.
Ten girls and eight boys were admitted to the Malacca Hospital early Wednesday morning after coming down with high fever, after a boy was warded at Alor Gajah Hospital on Tuesday.
All of them – five from Malacca, 13 from Johor and one from Negri Sembilan – are under quarantine at the hospitals.
Malacca Hospital director Dr Abu Bakar Mohamud said blood samples of the trainees had been taken and sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for further tests.
“At the moment, we suspect that they are suffering from viral infection,” he said.
“We have yet to determine the exact cause of the ailment but a possibility is the water in the pond used for water activities.”
The trainees’ fever, he said, had come down and their condition was “under control”.
Camp commandant Lt-Kol V. Pannirselvan Veloo said 45 trainees had been isolated and placed under observation by medical staff at the camp.
“We have stopped activities at the pond while waiting for the test results on the water,” he told reporters at Malacca Hospital here yesterday.
The camp surroundings and food supplied had been checked and found to be problem-free, he said, adding that the pond also tested safe three weeks ago.
He also said activities were continuing as usual for the rest of the camp’s 460 trainees.
State Human Resources, Health and Consumer Affairs Committee deputy chairman Datuk Abu Pit told parents not to worry as personnel from the hospitals and state Health Department were monitoring the situation closely.