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THE spread of Tuberculosis (TB) can be prevented by wearing face masks, especially for those in outbreak cluster areas, to reduce the risk of infection ahead of the festive season next week.
Public Health Physician Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the public, including those in the latest cluster location in Johor, needs to practice good hygiene, such as washing their hands and covering their mouths when coughing and sneezing.
"Early detection and complete treatment are important to break the chain of infection.
"In addition, BCG immunisation for infants is also important to protect children from any severe form of TB," he told Berita Harian.
Dr Zainal Ariffin stressed that tuberculosis is still a major infectious disease and a cause for concern in this country, especially in high-risk populations, namely for children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.
He also recommended that the Ministry of Health (MOH) immediately conduct monitoring among workers and settlements of foreigners, especially illegal immigrants (PATI), to curb the spread of tuberculosis.
Risk of death if left untreated
He said that the measure was necessary considering that foreigners, especially PATI, were entering the country illegally in large numbers and had certainly not undergone medical examinations.
He said that the disease, especially pulmonary tuberculosis, could be fatal if left untreated, but with proper treatment, most patients could recover completely.
"Initial isolation should be carried out for patients in the initial phase of treatment, which is within the first two to three weeks or until the sputum test is negative, to prevent infection.
"However, permanent isolation is not necessary after the initial phase of treatment because the medication taken makes their disease non-contagious," he said.
In addition, he said, close contacts with patients also need to be screened," he said.
As of February 7, a total of 10 active TB clusters were reported, involving four clusters in Selangor, in addition to one cluster each in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis and Sabah.
In Selangor, there were four clusters involving 10 cases, Johor recorded one cluster (37 cases), while Kedah and Kelantan recorded one cluster of two cases each.
In Pahang, there was one cluster of four cases, Perlis recorded one cluster of two cases, and Sabah recorded one cluster of five cases.
The cases in Johor involved 37 individuals, involving 29 children and eight adults, of whom 36 were actively detected, and screening was carried out with 903 close contacts.
One death was reported
One death was reported in the cluster, but confirmed not to be due to TB infection.
The Ministry of Health stressed that TB clusters, especially in institutions, require serious attention as they have the potential to increase transmission in the community.
In this regard, people who experience symptoms of a cough for more than two weeks, fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss and coughing up blood or have a history of close contact with a TB patient are advised to seek an initial examination at a nearby health facility. – February 12, 2026