Dengue cases up 1.3 pct last week

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue fever cases in the 45th Epidemiology Week (ME) this year (ME45/22) or from Nov 6 to 12, increased by 22 cases or 1.3 per cent to 1,715 compared to 1,693 in the previous week.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement yesterday said two deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported during the week.

“The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far is 52,977 cases compared to 22,581 cases for the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of 30,396 cases (134.6 per cent),” he said.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, a total of 37 deaths due to dengue complications were also reported compared to 18 deaths during the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of 19 deaths.

He said the number of hotspot localities reported in ME45/22 also increased to 68 compared to 50 in the previous week.

Dr Noor Hisham said of the total, 38 localities were in Selangor, Sabah (18), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (10), and Perak and Sarawak (one each).

Regarding chikungunya, he said a total of six cases were recorded in ME45/22 with three cases in Penang, Selangor (two) and Perak (one), making the cumulative number to date, 688 cases.

As for Zika surveillance, Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 1,800 blood samples and 16 urine samples had been screened and the results were all negative.