KOTA KINABALU, May 12 – A total of 8,856 tuberculosis (TB) cases have been recorded nationwide this year as of May 4 with Sabah alone accounting for 1,944 or 21.9%, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said TB cases in the country remained a serious concern as occurrences were still high.
Dzulkefly said the disease, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was highly infectious and spread through the air.
“We advise people with signs and symptoms such as cough lasting more than two weeks, fever, night sweats, lack of appetite, weight loss and blood in the sputum to seek treatment immediately.
“TB patients need to be treated because without immediate treatment, it can cause death,” he said after officiating the 2024 World Malaria, Tuberculosis and Leprosy Day event at the Faculty of Medicine and Science Health, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here on Sunday (May 12).
Asked if the high number of TB cases was caused by undocumented migrants, he said the ministry was aware that some cases involved foreigners who entered the country illegally.
“This is a big challenge for the Sabah government and Health director.
