The Nut Graph

Making Sense of Politics & Pop Culture

Infectious diseases

By The Nut Graph team

THE A(H1N1) strain of influenza. Meningitis. Leptospirosis. These are among the infectious diseases making headlines in Malaysia of late.

They’ve obviously struck fear in the health authorities and the public. Entry points to Malaysia are screened to detect travellers with flu-like symptoms, in an effort to keep the A(H1N1) bug at bay. Health alerts are disseminated and travellers advised to cancel trips to countries where there is an outbreak. Some folks even don masks when they’re in public places.

Precautionary measures are necessary. However, these infectious diseases seem to cause more alarm than the perennial dengue, which has already claimed 48 lives as of May this year. The rising incidence of other diseases such HIV/AIDS has also been making headlines for way longer.

Since infectious diseases are such a hot topic, other than politics, we’re inviting our visitors to share their six words on this. The infectious diseases don’t necessarily have to be of the microbial or viral variety.

(Source: shepherd.edu)

To start the ball rolling, here are some six words from The Nut Graph team.

Cindy Tham:

Beware the plague of corruption, bigotry.

A pox be on the bigots!

Deborah Loh:

Corruption, Umno’s number one infectious disease.

The wrong people are falling sick.

BN no cure. Pakatan virus mutating.

Gan Pei Ling:

Doctor says: Optimism is best cure.

No one will be spared. Run!

Body, mind, soul — ultimate immunity needed.

N Shashi Kala:

Needed: An antidote to Malaysian apathy.

Extreme remedies appropriate for extreme diseases.

The natural method of population control.

Nick Choo:

Infectious diseases really make me sick.

Shanon Shah:

Bugs are the new Al Qaeda.

At least germs can’t form government.

If only democracy were infectious, too.

A sign of misaligned human priorities.

Tapi pasal wabak AIDS senyap je?

Sexism, homophobia, racism — equally serious epidemics.

Innoculate Malaysia from corruption and tyranny!

Zedeck Siew:

Heard? That meningitis conspiracy theory? Typical.

    The Nut Graph‘s Six Words — infectious!

    Inspired by Ernest Hemingway‘s genius, the Six Words On… section challenges readers to give us their comments about a current issue, contemporary personality or significant event in just six words. The idea is to get readers engaged in an issue that The Nut Graph identifies, while having fun and being creatively disciplined.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    4. galadriel says

      Educate public servants on hygienic practices

      Corruption is the most debilitating disease.

      Nature’s way of balancing earth’s equilibrium.

      The real killers: nobody’s worried about.

    5. Naoko says

      Civil disobedience is democracy’s latest symptom.

      Mkini. Nut Graph. Malaysian Insider. Infectious

      Ain’t no fever like corruption fever.

      Some illnesses are caught by choice.

      New Documentary: Corruption and its symptoms

      Documentary (Con’t): Corruption and its cure

      Whoever said bitter medicines are good?

      Any politicking – symptom of inept governance.

      Politics – The most catching disease of all.

    15. starranise says

      This is stupid. You call this journalism?

      Editor’s note: This comment is not six words long, but it comments on the Six Words On… section. We’re letting it through in the interest of transparency.

      Shanon Shah
      Columns and Comments Editor

    17. KW Mak says

      @starranise

      Lighten up dude(tte?), this is fun :-p

      Editor’s note: Mak then elaborates on his six-word response. We’re letting this through as well. Mak says:

      Think of it as a game for the readers that challenges and educates. Participation is voluntary.

      Perhaps you were not around when this whole thing started, hence your apprehension. May I recommend to The Nut Graph team to post a link on the origins of Six Words in future installments? It would help explain things for newcomers.

      Editor’s note: Good suggestion, Mak. And as readers will note, I rarely approve comments which are not six words long – my ruthlessness is intentional. And we’ll see what we can do for the next edition of Six Words On…

      Shanon Shah
      Columns and Comments Editor

    19. Naoko says

      Here are comments on another comment:

      Journalists and editors can’t have fun?

      They’re human too, this section’s fun!

      Cause life without laughter’s just pathetic.

      So I believe it’s not stupid.

      Whoever said journalism is serious always?