Leptospirosis outbreak: Second victim dies

A 26-year-old Myanmar national in the Juru illegal immigrant detention camp here has died from Leptospirosis, making him the second fatal casualty, says the Immigration Department.

Twenty-four other victims of the outbreak remain warded.

Two Leptospirosis patients discharged from hospital

Two Leptospirosis patients, treated at the isolation ward of Bukit Mertajam Hospital, Penang were discharged Saturday.

The remaining seven Leptospirosis patients from the Immigration detention centre at Juru, Bukit Mertajam were in stable condition and that the situation was under control.

Eleven more immigrants from Juru depot admitted for leptospirosis

Eleven more illegal immigrants from the Juru detention centre were admitted to Bukit Mertajam Hospital with leptospirosis on Friday.

Thirteen out of the earlier 26 detainees infected with leptospirosis, have been discharged from the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, adding that now 22 detainees remained at the hospital while another two are at the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

The disease has been contained. The people should not panic as the outbreak was only confined to the centre. I assure the neighbourhood that there is nothing to be scared of. We believe the problem will die down in one or two days.

Detained immigrant dies of leptospirosis

An inmate of the Juru Detention Camp died of leptospirosis at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital while 26 others from the camp have been warded at Bukit Mertajam Hospital and Seberang Jaya Hospital for the disease.

The symptoms he suffered include pedal odema, fever, decreased urine output, constipation and lethargy.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. Humans can only become infected through contact with water, food or soil containing urine from infected animals. The disease cannot spread from person to person.

Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea or a rash. If left untreated, the patient can develop kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory distress.