Eleven more immigrants from Juru depot admitted for leptospirosis

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

State Exco for Health and Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Phee Boon Poh said they were sent to hospital after coming down with fever.

Thirteen out of the earlier 26 detainees infected with leptospirosis, have been discharged from the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, he said, 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,” he said.

A 21-year-old detainee from Myanmar died of the bacterial disease on Tuesday after he was being admitted to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital on May 7.

Phee said the state health department has checked the water sources, the food and the handlers, as well as carried out fumigation, disinfection and extermination of rodents at all four blocks of the centre.

“When the disease first hit, the wardens, due to lack of medical knowledge, thought it was a normal everyday sickness and an isolated case. After the death of the first patient, the department moved in and acted quickly,” he said.

Leptospirosis outbreaks are usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs and wild animals.

People become infected through eating, drinking or contact with urine-contaminated water, food or soil. It does not spread from human to human.

Bukit Tengah assemblyman Ong Chin Wen said residents in the nearby Perkampungan Juru were worried that the disease might spread to the neighbouring areas.

“We hope the state health department and Seberang Prai Municipal Council will ensure the depot is thoroughly cleaned and closely monitored to contain the disease,” he said.

Perkampungan Juru Village Security and Development Committee chairman Chiam Thcek Owing, 49, said it was time for the centre to be relocated elsewhere because the nearest residential area was about 30m from the camp.

“SJK(C) True Light is also just behind the camp. We are not prejudiced toward the detainees, but we fear of any outbreak that may affect our densely populated area,” he said.