Malaysia Steps Up TB Screening After New Clusters Reported in Schools and Institutions

Malaysia is facing a mounting challenge in its fight against tuberculosis (TB), with medical experts describing the situation as a “slow-burn epidemic” — a crisis that spreads quietly but steadily as the number of active clusters rises and begins reaching schools and boarding facilities.

Malaysia’s Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that as of early February 2026, authorities had detected 10 new TB clusters across seven states. One of the most alarming was reported in Johor, where a religious teacher was identified as the source of transmission to 29 children and eight adults.

The current TB trend in Malaysia is considered particularly dangerous because of its latent nature. Dzulkefly warned that many people may have been exposed without realizing it, as the bacteria can remain “asleep” in the body.

“The bacteria can be in our bodies but remain latent. When our immunity drops, it can flare up,” Dzulkefly said. That is why TB is being described as a slow-burning epidemic: it can wait until the human body becomes vulnerable before turning active.

The danger of undetected spread

The “slow-burn epidemic” label was echoed by Dr. Venu Gopalan, a medical practitioner in Kuala Lumpur, who pointed to a steady but persistent rise in cases over the past decade.

“I describe TB as what we call a slow-burn epidemic,” Dr. Venu told the South China Morning Post.

He said one of the biggest risks today is undetected transmission, even though TB is relatively easy to diagnose and treat when caught early.

A key complication in controlling TB, experts say, is that transmission is increasingly moving beyond households into larger institutions. Pediatric consultant Dr. Amar-Singh HSS said shared air in public or communal settings raises the stakes considerably.

“In dormitories or workplaces, we share the same air with many people. It is much harder to conduct contact tracing in large institutions,” Dr. Amar-Singh said. The challenge has been underscored by cases in a primary school involving more than a dozen pupils in Johor.

While public speculation has at times blamed foreign workers, Malaysia’s Health Ministry data show that 85 percent of TB patients over the past decade were locals.

The ministry has stepped up screening for individuals showing symptoms such as prolonged cough, fever, and significant weight loss. The public is also being reminded to complete at least six months of treatment to prevent the bacteria from becoming more resistant and continuing to spread to others.

Indonesianpost.com | Detik