JOHOR BAHRU: All eight cases of Tuberculosis (TB), with one death at Flat Tasek 64, Bandar Seri Alam, Masai here last year were sporadic and were not epidemiologically linked, said the Johor Health Department (JKN).
State Health Director Dr Mohtar Pungut@Ahmad, said the reported death was of a patient who sought treatment late and had complications of TB infection.
“JKN Johor is committed to addressing the spread of infectious diseases and ensuring optimal treatment for patients,“ he said in a statement today.
The statement was issued following a news report on March 11 that 10,000 residents of the flat were at risk of contracting the disease after the area was identified as a TB hotspot.
Dr Mohtar said TB can be prevented with a minimum treatment period of six months but can be fatal if not given early or complete treatment.
Therefore, he reminded the public to seek treatment promptly if experiencing prolonged cough symptoms.
“In addition, TB patients also need to be committed to complying with the treatment regimen to avoid treatment failure and the occurrence of drug-resistant TB bacteria, which can prolong the treatment period and cause the disease to spread to others,” he said. -Bernama