PRIORITISING PERSONAL HYGIENE PREVENTS H1N1 INFECTION

PENANG (Malaysia), July 9 (Bernama) -- The public must prioritise personal
hygiene and take responsibility for their health to protect themselves from
being infected with the A(H1N1) influenza virus.

Health Director-General Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said that although the
government had taken many measures to control the spread of the virus, the
public should also keep improving their personal hygiene regime.

"The public cannot be lackadaisical about their daily health routine and
it's time they play their individual roles as the last bastion in preventing the
influenza infection," he told reporters after launching the National Clinical
Research Conference here Thursday.

He said that in line with that, the Health Ministry would be launching a
personal hygiene awareness campaign on July 20.

"The campaign is aimed at providing awareness to the public on how to
prevent themselves from being infected with the virus, and it will be launched
by the Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, on July 20," he said.

Dr Mohd Ismail said that through the campaign, the Health Department would
give detailed information on personal hygiene especially in public places.

"Besides giving exposure, we will also be encouraging the public to bring
liquid hand sanitizers so that they can clean their hands with convenience,
and to use face masks and tissue in public places to protect themselves from
getting infected with H1N1," he said.

As at 8am Wednesday, 513 influenza A(H1N1) cases have been reported in
Malaysia, involving 378 imported and 135 local cases, with no deaths reported so
far.
-- BERNAMA