Six-fold leap in Labuan dengue cases
LABUAN: Achievements in the fight against dengue in the duty-free-island here have not reached satisfactory level due to the lackadaisical attitude among the people who leave cleanliness solely to the authorities.
Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said there were still areas with potential mosquito breeding sites.
“We have launched a number of educational and awareness campaigns and ‘gotong royong perdana’ in areas with dengue outbreak, and we noticed there are improvement with people started cleaning their compound, but had not reached to our expectation,” he said yesterday.
Although no death was reported over the years, the number of reported dengue cases in the duty-free-island since January to Aug 19 this year is 44 compared to only seven cases during the same period of last year, which is more than a six-fold increase.
“We have visited the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) commune at Kg Muslim and Kiansam, and found there is still potential mosquito breeding sites,” he said.
“We noted that the number of dengue cases here is no longer at the epidemic level, but the situation can only get worse unless concerted effort is made at every level of villagers to prevent its spread.”
Most dengue cases were in areas where rubbish was strewn all over in clogged drains as well as pools of stagnant water where the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae thrives.
Dr Ismuni said if unwanted containers and polystyrene boxes were disposed of properly, logically mosquitoes would not have a place to breed and there would not be a dengue outbreak.
“Dengue can be prevented. But to prevent it, cleanliness must be diligently practised by all and it must start at home,” he said.
Dr Ismuni said cleanliness should not be left to the authorities alone.
“Certainly, the local authority will collect rubbish and clear clogged drains, but they are not obliged to pick up discarded tin cans or polystyrene boxes in the compounds of houses and that is the duty of the house owners,” he stressed.