The medicine and health sciences professor said this was because they could have inborn antibodies, according to a report in The Star.
Speaking at a public health forum on Zika at Kota Kinabalu on Sept 20, Dr Kamruddin said the virus had been found in apes and probably humans in Sabah as early as the 1960s.
“From what scientists have researched and confirmed, we know that the orang utan are among apes or monkeys that carry the virus,” the molecular epidemiologist said.
However, Kamruddin said, due to deforestation and other factors forcing more animal-human contact, the Zika virus had spread to humans.
“It means that most of us probably have a natural anti-body against the virus,” The Star quoted him as saying.
“Therefore, it may mean that this Zika virus may not affect us the same way it is affecting other people in other parts of the world, especially Brazil where many babies born of Zika-infected mothers have microcephaly (small head) syndrome,” Dr Kamruddin said.
He said the Zika virus strains in Malaysia and South America were different.
Dr Kamruddin said there was also no concrete proof that microcephaly was caused by the Zika virus.
He also said that international scientists were closer to finding a vaccine against the virus suitable for humans, according to the report.
However, even if Sabahans had less chances of being affected by the virus, Dr Kamruddin advised them to take measures to ensure they did not contract the virus.
Kota Kinabalu health office public health medicine consultant Dr Jiloris @ Julian Dony urged the public to use mosquito nets at home, wear light and long-sleeved shirt and pants, as well as spray repellents when necessary to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.