This period of time between New Year and the Lunar New Year marks a high season for flu outbreak both within and without the country.

Since last November, there have been confirmed cases of Type-A and Type B flu in this country. As a result, flu medications in the likes of Tamiflu and Oseltamivir have been sold out in pharmacies across the country, with new supply expected to arrive only in mid-January.

At the same time, 44 cases of unidentified viral pneumonia have been reported in Wuhan, China, and last Saturday, neighbouring Singapore reported its first suspected case from a three-year old Chinese girl who had recently visited the city of Wuhan.

Singapore is only a narrow causeway from us, and this underscores the real threat of an imminent outbreak of new virus in the country. It is imperative for the authorities to remain highly alert and put up a formidable defensive wall to guard off the potential outbreak.

The government has significantly improved on its preventive measures following the several major viral outbreaks in the past. The Nipah virus outbreak in Negeri Sembilan some two decades ago was among the most fatal, having claimed more than a hundred lives, while the 2003 SARS outbreak took several precious lives here. In addition, Coxsackie and H1N1 were serious viral outbreaks originating from foreign countries that only prompted the government to seriously act after suspected cases were reported here.

The health ministry issued a statement as late as last Saturday that all passengers arriving from Wuhan would be screened. From what we know, six unidentified viral pneumonia cases were reported in Hong Kong within a span of 24 hours.

Now is both the peak travel season and onset period of seasonal flu in Asia, and with increased cross-border human movements, viral infections are poised to pick up. It is therefore inadequate for the authorities to just focus their preventive strategies on one or several specific high risk areas.

People keep moving from place to place and from country to country. Every person can be a potential carrier and a medium to spread the virus. Take the unidentified viral pneumonia for instance, it could very likely exist not just in the Wuhan area.

Similarly, the Malaysian authorities must not only keep a watchful eye on passengers arriving from Wuhan or Singapore, but all visitors arriving from around Asia through the many immigration checkpoints across the country. Most sophisticated body temperature sensors must be installed at all these checkpoints and medical personnel must on constant alert to block any suspected case from entering this country.

In the meantime, the government must educate the public through various media channels to take the necessary preventive measures as well as ways to deal with any suspected infection.

The government has this inevasible duty to safeguard the health and well-being of all Malaysians and to ensure they are free from the threat of any unidentified virus.