100 villagers down with mystery fever

ALOR SETAR: The Kedah Health Department has sent a team to investigate claims that 100 villagers in the Pokok Sena district here have come down with a “mystery fever,” suspected to be chikungunya, since March.

Its director Datuk Dr Hasnah Ismail said the team would take blood samples from the villagers for testing.

“We will know the result within two days,” she said on Tuesday.

The villagers say that the disease that originated in Desa Keda Kampung Bukit has spread to Kampung Hujung Bendang, Kampung Baru and Kampung Bendang Baru.

They say they are suffering from high fever, rashes, arthritis affecting multiple joints and headaches, symptoms similar to those of chikunguya.

“One day my neighbour had the fever, the next day I got it,” said villager Halibon Saad, 57.

“When I was infected with the ‘mystery fever,’ I could not move my muscles and my body temperature rose.

“I went to see a doctor at a nearby clinic but he could not determine what my illness was,” he said when met Tuesday.

Awang Mat, 63, also from Kampung Baru, said his fever lasted for a week but he was still suffering from muscle pains.

“Some of my friends suffered muscle pains for about a month,” he said.