Overview
- Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told Parliament the 10 clusters remained active as of Feb 7, with surveillance and treatment under way across seven states.
- Johor’s largest cluster involves 29 children and eight adults linked to a 72-year-old religious teacher in Kota Tinggi, with all patients receiving care at nearby facilities.
- Officials identified 903 close contacts for screening using symptom checks, chest X-rays and sputum tests under TBIS 2018 guidance, and initiated treatment or preventive therapy as indicated.
- A separate infection in a Pontian primary school pupil was confirmed and assessed as unrelated to the Kota Tinggi cluster, with contact tracing and school sanitisation conducted by local health authorities.
- The Health Ministry recorded 2,571 TB cases from Jan 1 to Feb 7, a 9.8% year-on-year rise, as experts advised masks during travel, better ventilation at gatherings and completion of multi-month regimens to reduce drug resistance.