KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has recorded 39 new cases of infectious diseases among flood victims today with 33 involving acute respiratory infections (ARI), according to Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
At the same time, he said four people suffered from skin diseases while two others were identified with food poisoning or acute gastroenteritis (AGE).
As of 3pm today, Dr Noor Hisham said only one new Covid-19 case was detected among flood victims, bringing the tally to 461.
Covid-19 cluster involving flood victims also remained the same with only one cluster recorded so far, he said.
"There are 194 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) that are still operational to date with 70 in Johor, Pahang (54), Melaka (23), Sabah (23), Negeri Sembilan (22), and two in Selangor.
"Six states are affected by flood — Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, involving 13,557 flood victims," he said in a statement today.
Dr Noor Hisham added that 15 flood victims at the flood relief centres were detected to have the Covid-19 virus.
He also cautioned flood victims against playing or wading through the floods as the murky waters could cause infectious diseases.
"Ensure cleanliness at all the relief centres and avoid eating food or drinking water that is contaminated.
"Health officers at all health facilities must be alert with the possibility of infectious diseases that comes with flood and always do the necessary checkups so that immediate treatment can be given," he said.
