Malaysia reports first polio case since 1992

Hanoi (VNA) - Malaysia reported the first case of polio in almost three decades, according to the country's health ministry.

The case involved a three-month-old boy from Tuaran district in Sabah state on Borneo island, who was admitted to the hospital with a fever followed by a weak limb. The Malaysian infant was confirmed to have been infected with polio on December 6, said health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Hisham said tests showed the child was infected with a polio strain that shared genetic links with the virus detected in the Philippine cases.

Checks in the area where the baby lived showed 23 of 199 children between 2 and 15 had not received the polio vaccine, he said, advising parents to ensure their children were fully vaccinated.

Malaysia last had a polio case in 1992, before it was declared polio-free in 2000 together with other Western Pacific region countries.

Polio is an infectious disease which spreads rapidly. It can cause paralysis and, on rare occasions, can be fatal. There is no cure for polio. However, it can only be prevented with multiple doses of polio vaccines that have long been proven safe and effective./.