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8 cases of Influenza A H1N1 detected in Sabah BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

8 cases of Influenza A H1N1 detected in Sabah

Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:49 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Health Department has confirmed that eight cases of Influenza A H1N1 were detected in the state this month.

Its director, Dr Christina Rundi said seven of the cases were detected at Wad Melur 2 of the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital here while the other in Sandakan.

"The Sabah Health Department received a report on the cases at the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital on Feb 3. Screening was done on 30 people suspected to have been exposed, from it (screening), 10 Nasopharyngeal Aspirate Respiratory Syncytial Virus (NPA RSV) samples were taken for the testing.

"The results confirmed seven cases were positive for A H1N1. The patients showed cough, fever and flu symptoms. The patients were five children and two adults. All of them are receiving treatment and are in stable condition.

Dr Christina said among the immediate measures taken by the department the moment the cases were confirmed as A H1NI were giving anti-virus shots to the infected patients, expanding the screening process to all who had been contact with them, and disinfecting the ward.

She said the ward concerned had also been isolated, screening of staff done with those (staff) found to be ill asked to go home apart from promoting awareness on precautions to be taken by the people should they show influenza-like-illness (ILI) symptoms.

Dr Christina said facemasks were also supplied to the H1N1 patients as well as the staff and visitors besides emphasising hand hygiene.

She said an operations room was activated at the hospital on Feb 4 to contain the situation and prevent it from spreading.

"H1N1 is endemic in Sabah and cases are reported each year. The H1N1 situation at the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital is under control. Control and prevention measures have and are being taken," she said.

Meanwhile, Christina said each year, H1N1 cases were reported in Sabah and in 2009, 944 cases were recorded which was a prevalency rate (PR) of 30.81 per 100,000 residents.

However, the figures dropped to 145 cases (PR 4.43) in 2010, 26 cases (PR 0.79) in 2011, 15 cases (PR 0.46) in 2012 and 6 cases (PR 0.16)lastyear. — Bernama

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Security forces thwart yet another attempt to encroach into Sabah waters

Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:18 AM PST

LAHAD DATU: The security forces have thwarted yet another attempt by certain quarters to encroach into the waters off Sabah's east coast, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday.

He said the attempt was made at the end of last month and the security forces nipped it in the bud.

"We are always at the ready to face any eventuality," he told reporters after a visit to the security post on Pulau Adal near here. Accompanying Khalid were Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek.

Without elaborating, Khalid said the security forces would not give any room to anyone at all to encroach into the country and commit crime.

Last December, the security forces foiled an attempt by certain quarters to encroach into the state.

On the visit, Khalid said the security forces wanted to increase the number of security posts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) to strengthen security in the area.

"We have identified several strategic spots. Our target is to establish more than 40 integrated security posts in the ESSZone," he said.

He also said that the security forces were satisfied with the preparedness of the security personnel tasked with ensuring security in the ESSZone.

"I notice that the security personnel serving at the integrated security posts are always ready to face any eventuality," he said.

Prior to visiting the security posts, including at the Mataking and Pom Pom islands, Khalid also visited the new ESSCom office in Lahad Datu town. — Bernama

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Eggs stand upright on ‘lap chun’ day

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 05:05 PM PST

by Amy Dangin. Posted on February 6, 2014, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: According to the rules of geomancy, the Year of the Horse officially started at 6.18am on February 4, 2014 (Tuesday), on a day known to the Chinese as 'lap chun'.

'Lap chun' is considered the day many attritube to the way eggs can stand upright on end, as it is believed that on 'lap chun' day, the 'qi' or energy from the earth is at its strongest and many believers would try to balance uncooked eggs on flat surfaces to herald this day.

Environmentalist Dr CY Vun was one of those who put this belief to the test and was amazed when the eggs he and his friend had placed vertically on a flat surface at his friend's residence in Kota Kinabalu between 8.30am to 9.30am, on February 4 managed to stand upright on end without support.

Other than on 'lap chun' day, the other day in a year that eggs are able to be placed vertically is on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, or the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu festival.

The Chinese also believe that those who pray or start farming on 'lap chun' day will be blessed, and in modern days, many choose double 'lap chun' years, such as the Year of the Horse, to get married or start a family due to this belief.

Egg balancing has been connected with 'Lichun', one of the 24 solar terms in a year according to the traditional East Asian calendars, marking the beginning of Chinese spring on February 4 or 5 when the sun is at the celestial longitude of 315 degrees.

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Supermarket gutted in Sandakan fire

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:39 PM PST

by Winnie Kasmir. Posted on February 6, 2014, Thursday

SANDAKAN: A double-storey Servay Supermarket in Kim Fung Town off Mile 4 was gutted in a midnight fire on Tuesday.

The 12.08 am blaze, however was put out before it could spread to the nearby shop lots and housing area, located next to shop building.

The supermarket's security guard, Alin Bungan, who witnessed the incident has heard the sound of the supermarket's alarm and went to checked the building before seen a smoke coming out from the back area.

He then prompted the incident to the nearest police bit before the police called Fire and Rescue Department.

According to Chief of Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department, Jemishin Ujin, upon received a distress call, 45 members with four fire engines and six utility vehicles were rushed to scene and arrived within minutes.

"We managed to put off the fire around 3.38am from spread to several next shop lots that sharing the same building with Servay Supermarket and to nearby houses which attached on the building's right side," he said adding that they also faced problem with the grills surrounding the supermarket during the operation.

Meanwhile, Chief Police, ACP Rowell Marung who visited the scene said the police will do an investigation based on the forensic's findings of Fire and Rescue Department.

"Police will do investigation based from the forensic's finding of Fire and Rescue Department whether the incident happened due to foul play or sabotage," he said.

Fire and Rescue Department has estimated that 150feet length x 50 feet width from the overall supermarket was affected by the fire. The loss and cause of the fire are being determined.

Servay Supermarket in Kim Fung which was opened in 1999 has been operated daily from 10am to 10pm with some 300 staff.

This was the second fire involving Servay hypermarkets.

On August 2008, a huge fire engulfed the Servay hypermarket in Penampang at 7.30pm.

The hypermarket was fully rebuilt and reopened for business on June 29, 2010.

Servay hypermarkets are also located in Kota Kinabalu, Likas, Putatan, Keningau, Tawau and Lahad Datu.

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