Drop in dengue and chikungunya cases in Malaysia

The Star 24 Dec 09;

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 813 dengue fever cases, with one death, were reported in the week from Dec 13 to 19, a drop of 12% or 106 cases compared with the previous week.

Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said, however, that three states showed spikes in the number of cases -- Pahang (100%), Terengganu (18%) and Negri Sembilan (3%). He said the number of cases this year as at Dec 19 was 39,794, with 84 deaths, a 12% drop from 45,649, with 100 deaths, for the corresponding period last year.

The fatal case last week was that of a 26-year-old housewife from Taman Selasih, Gombak, who died a day after giving birth to her first child. The locality had experienced seven dengue outbreaks this year, he said in a statement here Wednesday.

Nine localities were out of the hot spot list last week but nine new ones were identified this week, maintaining the total this week at 19.

On chikungunya, Dr Ismail said the number of cases also registered a drop to 107 last week, from 189 the previous week.

Sarawak had the highest number, accounting for 97% of the total cases nationwide.

The total for the year up to Dec 19 was 5,340 cases from 22 localities, all in Sarawak. -- Bernama