Authorities still unable to detect source of outbreak in Perak

Star: PETALING JAYA: The rotavirus responsible for the acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak in Perak continues to evade detection.
Perak Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said nine water samples taken from the affected areas tested negative for rotavirus while the results for 14 samples were pending.
He said more than half of the stool samples from patients had tested positive for rotavirus.
“Of the 95 stool samples, 59 or 62.8% were positive for rotavirus, 10 came back negative while the results of the remaining 25 samples are pending,” he told The Star.
Dr Mah advised parents to bring their children for medical treatment as soon as they showed symptoms like fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
To prevent AGE, he said drinking water should be boiled thoroughly.
He reminded the public to practise personal hygiene like washing hands before cooking or handling food and after going to the toilet.
A total of 188 new cases were reported as at 8am yesterday, bringing the total number to 3,444 since the start of the outbreak on Jan 27, Dr Mah revealed.
Of the fresh cases, 114 were detected in the Hilir Perak district and the rest in Batang Padang.
Dr Mah added that of the new cases, 15 of those who remained warded were children.
“The cases are confined to the Hilir Perak and Batang Padang districts,” he said, allaying fears that AGE had spread to other areas.
The AGE outbreak has affected mostly young children, with two deaths so far.