{
  "id": 7702104,
  "title": "46 pelajar sekolah di Ipoh dijangkiti influenza, kata exco",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/46-pelajar-sekolah-di-ipoh-dijangkiti-influenza-kata-exco",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-16T04:01:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/16/46-pelajar-sekolah-di-ipoh-dijangkiti-influenza-kata-exco"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "IPOH: A total of 46 students from a secondary school have been diagnosed with Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) following a cluster of Influenza A cases that struck the school, according to A Sivanesan, the chairman of the Human Resources, Health, Community Welfare, and National Integration Committee for Perak. Health authorities reported that all students are in stable condition, and the state health department will continue to monitor the situation. The data was obtained through a health screening and assessment of 61 students at the Kinta District Health Department (PKD) Kinta by September 14. Besides the ILI, the screening also found 14 students with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and one student with conjunctivitis, while swabs from six students were taken for further analysis. As of September 15, all assessed students were reported to be stable. The Perak Health Department, through PKD Kinta, will continue to monitor the situation, including any new cases, test results, and take additional control and prevention measures if necessary. The timeline of the incident began on September 14 when 57 students sought treatment at a nearby health clinic without prior notification, before the PKD Kinta control team moved in to assess the school. That day, the school reported an additional 27 students sick, and although the school was advised to bring students in staggered groups to avoid clinic congestion, they decided to transport the sick students using a school bus. A follow-up was made by the clinic to ensure a regular and controlled intake, screening, and assessment process. A total of 12 more students were confirmed ill, making 39 students undergo health assessments on September 15. The assessments were completed by 1 pm, and all students were reported to be stable. Sivanesan stated that the school was advised to separate sick students from healthy ones, and students who are well enough to return home were instructed to do so to self-isolate until they recover. Health education was also provided to school management, teachers, and students on preventive measures, including hand hygiene, cough etiquette, mask usage for symptomatic individuals, and the importance of seeking treatment if symptoms worsen. The school was also advised not to transport large groups of sick students to health facilities for treatment without coordinating with the health facilities first. The public is advised to take steps to reduce the risk of influenza and its transmission, such as frequent hand washing, covering the mouth when coughing, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals. Parents and caregivers are suggested to ensure that sick children do not attend school until they recover, teaching proper handwashing and coughing etiquette, providing masks, and hand sanitizers for the children's use if needed. Parents are also encouraged to seek medical examination for their sick children if symptoms persist or worsen and consider influenza vaccination through the health facilities that offer the service. The school is also urged to increase awareness among the school community to report symptoms promptly, conduct daily monitoring of students to identify sick students early, and provide a separate isolation area for sick students.",
  "summary": "Exco Perak A Sivanesan berkata ia dikesan menerusi saringan dan penilaian kesihatan terhadap 61 pelajar bergejala oleh PKD Kinta sehingga 14 Sept lepas.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "46 pelajar sekolah di Ipoh dijangkiti influenza, kata exco",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/46-pelajar-sekolah-di-ipoh-dijangkiti-influenza-kata-exco-7702849",
        "published": "2026-09-16T04:01:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}