Two people have died and 203 people have been hospitalized following a typhoid outbreak in Kelantan that has sparked a public health scare, reports said today.

State health director Ahmad Razin Ahmad Maher said the outbreak detected three weeks ago was becoming critical but was still under control. He said the department had taken immediate steps to control the disease including conducting large-scale operations at eateries and business premises.

More than 30 dirty foodstalls have been closed for two weeks, he said.

"I hope the public will not panic with the situation as it is under control," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Typhoid fever is an infectious disease spread by water and food contaminated with the "Salmonella Typhii" bacteria which attacks the bloodsystem, intestines and the bile.

Early signs of typhoid

Ahmad Razin urged those suffering from prolonged fever, stomach upset, fatigue, headache and loss of appetite - early signs of typhoid fever - to seek immediate treatment. Hospitals and health clinics in the state have been put on alert, he said.

Student Siti Mardiah Nik Yahya, 23, died on April 15 while 20-year-old Hasmawati Abdullah succumbed to the disease on Monday, Bernama said. They both fell ill after consuming contaminated food at an exposition held at a stadium in the state capital.

A total of 164 people remain in hospital with typhoid or suspected typhoid.

Kelantan chief minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is also the spiritual leader of the PAS, has blamed poor hygiene and "dirty habits" such as littering for the outbreak and urged residents to learn to maintain cleanliness.

Kelantan is the poorest of Malaysia's 13 states, and the only one governed by PAS.