With dengue on the rise, people told to be vigilant

PUTRAJAYA: The total dengue fever reported during the 47th Epidemiological Week (ME) rose by 8.9% or 1,734 cases compared with 1,593 in the previous week, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

No deaths from complications due to dengue fever were reported during the week.

He said the cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported to date was 56,304, compared with 23,547 cases during the corresponding period last year, which is an increase of 139.1%, while the total number of deaths reported from dengue fever during the period this year was 37, up from 18 in 2021.

“There were also 54 hotspot locations identified during this (47th) week, compared with 61 hotspots in the week before, with 25 hotspots in Selangor, 19 in Sabah, seven in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, two in Perak and one in Sarawak,” he said in a statement, reported Bernama.

Dr Noor Hisham said surveillance done on chikungunya recorded 18 cases in the 47th ME, with 11 cases in Penang, Selangor (four), and one each in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan and Melaka.

“The cumulative number of chikungunya cases to date is 710 cases. For the Zika surveillance, 1,939 blood samples and 17 urine samples were taken for screening, and the results were all negative,” he said.

Recreational parks and playgrounds were still risk areas for dengue fever infection, he said, adding that the bad habit of throwing rubbish indiscriminately is a threat to health.

As such, Dr Noor Hisham said every household must inculcate the culture of maintaining cleanliness by not throwing rubbish indiscriminately from a young age so that it will become a habit when they reach adulthood.

He said individuals who go to recreational parks must protect themselves by putting on mosquito repellents, especially during peak hours when the mosquitoes are active between 5am and 7am and 5pm and 7pm.