Since June 2018, more than 20 customers have contracted a severe bacteria infection after visiting a massage parlour in KL, Oriental Daily reports.

Out of the 20, seven victims have expressed their grievances to the members of the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall (KLCAH) as well as the director of Malaysia's Public Service Department, Xue Fufeng.

This was done so at a press conference on Jan. 28, 2019, where the seven victims brought their medical reports along.

Resistant to commonly-used antibiotics

The medical reports reveal that at least four customers have been infected by a strain of "super bacteria" called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

MRSA spreads through skin contact, or even by touching objects (e.g. towels) that have the bacteria on them.

MRSA usually causes infections on the skin, and is harder to treat as it is resistant to commonly-used antibiotics.

Serious cases involve the infection of surgical wounds, bloodstream, lungs, and urinary tract.

As it is, majority of the victims underwent surgery to remove the infected parts, and some of them are still under quarantine in the hospital due to its highly-contagious nature.

Immediate surgery required

One of the victims known as Hu told the press that he visited the massage parlour on Nov. 20 last year, and subsequently found his legs itchy and painful.

After a week of painkillers and antibiotics, both of which did not work, Hu visited the doctor, where he was told that he would need to undergo a surgery immediately or it would compromise a full recovery.

"From the two weeks it took for me to fall sick and to be hospitalised, the doctor had to remove the flesh from eight infected wounds as the surrounding tissue was already dead. The entire surgery was RM23,000 (S$7,569.82), which includes a month of follow-up consultations."

Lin, the wife of another victim, said that her husband had gotten rashes and spots after visiting the same place.

After seeking medical attention, he decided to warn others about his experience on Facebook, and the post went viral.

It connected the other victims, who banded together to escalate the matter to the relevant authorities.

According to Oriental Daily, all victims were serviced by the same masseuse before experiencing the symptoms, which included swelling, pain, and pus-filled wounds.

Some even had their ability to walk affected.

In another report by China Press, one of the victims was told by the doctor that an amputation will be required if the infection reaches the bone.

Furthermore, a number of victims thought that they were isolated cases until they heard about similar cases on the internet.

KLCAH will be submitting the medical and police reports to the relevant authorities for investigation, and another press conference will be called for in the near future to provide updates.

Top image via Oriental Daily

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