PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 — The risk of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) spreading in Malaysia is still low, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said today.

He said so far, the spread of EVD only occurred in West Africa and cited a World Health Organisation (WHO) report which stated that 1,603 cases, including 887 fatalities, were reported in four countries in West Africa as of August 4.

The cases were reported in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

“If they (people from these countries) want to come to Malaysia, there is no direct flights. Normally they will come through the Middle East, “ he said, adding that the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was equipped with temperature sensing mechanisms to screen the body temperature of passengers.

Speaking to the media before chairing his ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting here, he said that the ministry would take immediate action to prevent the spread of the virus should there be an EVD case detected in the country.

So far, there had been no notification of any EVD case in Malaysia, he added. — Bernama