Arsenic is a carcinogen element that occurs naturally in our environment. Humans can be exposed to arsenic through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. However, the most significant exposure pathway is via oral ingestion. Therefore, a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the local arsenic concentration in drinking water and hair. Then, the prevalence of arsenicosis was evaluated to assess the presence of the disease in the community. The study was conducted in two villages, namely Village AG and Village P, in Perak, Malaysia. Socio-demographic data, water consumption patterns, medical history, and signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning were obtained using questionnaires. In addition, physical examinations by medical doctors were performed to confirm the signs reported by the respondents. A total of 395 drinking water samples and 639 hair samples were collected from both villages. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine arsenic concentration. The results showed that 41% of water samples from Village AG contained arsenic concentrations of more than 0.01 mg/L. In contrast, none of the water samples from Village P exceeded this level. Whilst, for hair samples, 85 (13.5%) of total respondents had arsenic levels above 1 μg/g. A total of 18 respondents in Village AG had at least one sign of arsenicosis and hair arsenic levels of more than 1 μg/g. Factors significantly associated with increased arsenic levels in hair were female, increasing age, living in Village AG and smoking. The prevalence of arsenicosis in the exposed village indicates chronic arsenic exposure, and immediate mitigation action needs to be taken to ensure the wellbeing of the residents in the exposed village.
The current Ebola outbreak, which is the first to affect West African countries, has been declared to have met the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Thus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Malaysia has taken steps to strengthen and enhanced the five core components of preparedness and response to mitigate the outbreak. The National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) commands, controls and coordinates the preparedness and response plans for disasters, outbreaks, crises and emergencies (DOCE) related to health in a centralised way. Through standardised case definition and mandatory notification of Ebola by public and private practitioners, surveillance of Ebola is made possible. Government hospitals and laboratories have been identified to manage and diagnose Ebola virus infections, and medical staff members have been trained to handle an Ebola outbreak, with emphasis on strict infection prevention and control practices. Monitoring of the points of entry, focusing on travellers and students visiting or coming from West African countries is made possible by interagency collaborations. To alleviate the public's anxiety, effective risk communications are being delivered through various channels. With experience in past outbreak control, the MOH's preparedness and response plans are in place to abate an Ebola outbreak.