Tests to find cause of illness

NST: MALACCA: Blood and urine samples of rats and cattle are being analysed to determine the source of a viral outbreak at a National Service training camp recently.
The State Health Department has sent the samples, found near the camp in Alor Gajah, to the Veterinary Services Department’s laboratory in Kuala Lumpur.
Deputy director Dr Ghazali Othman said some of the sick trainees were infected with leptospirosis.
"It is caused by the bacteria of the genus Leptospira which is found in the body of animals like rats, cattle and even wildboars but there are many sub-types of the bacteria.
"We are trying to find a match between the Leptospira found in the blood of the sick trainees with those in the rats and cattle to determine the strain of bacteria which infected them," he said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The results of the laboratory analysis would help the department recommend preventive measures to the Taboh Naning NS camp to prevent future outbreaks.
"We expect to finalise a report detailing more conclusive recommendations to the camp operator on how to better safeguard the health of their trainees by next month.
"They will probably have to take some prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics especially for leptospirosis," he said.
It was reported that over 94 NS trainees at the camp had come down with viral fever since April 18, and at the height of the outbreak 52 trainees had to be warded and 79 isolated at the camp.
At Press time, only 10 remained warded at the Malacca Hospital and 14 isolated at the camp.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek revealed that there was a concurrent infection at the camp, with trainees falling sick with Influenza B and leptospirosis.
He had said those who with leptospirosis fell ill after undergoing a water adaptation exercise for 15 to 30 minutes at a nearby pond, which could have been contaminated with rat and or cattle urine.
The two water ponds used were full of Leptospira.