Malaysia: Johor records highest dengue fatalities

Chuah Bee Kim New Straits Times 2 Jul 13;

WORRYING: Seven cases were reported over the past six months compared to only one case throughout last year

JOHOR recorded the highest number of deaths from dengue, with seven cases over the past six months, compared with only one reported throughout last year.

Based on statistics released by the National Dengue Operations Room, there were six deaths in Selangor and Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya in the same period.

Compared with the same period last year, however, the number of cases reported in Selangor showed a decrease as there were only 11 cases.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said that the number of dengue cases, compiled on a weekly basis, showed that it has reached a critical level, with 658 cases reported nationwide.

Dr Subramaniam said that the number this year has increased by 14 per cent compared to 575 cases last year.

"Since the beginning of the year until June 22, a total of 12,143 cases nationwide have been reported compared to 11,430 cases in the same period last year, recording an increase of 713 cases or 6.2 per cent," he said.

"Eight states showed an increase of cases, with Johor recording the highest increase at 88 per cent. Sarawak has 58 per cent, Sabah (41 per cent), Negri Sembilan (33 per cent), Perak (15 per cent), Kelantan (seven per cent), Perlis (two per cent) and Selangor (one per cent)," Dr Subramaniam said.

He urged the public to make sure that their homes and surrounding neighbourhood do not provide breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito to breed.

"Health enforcement officers will be carrying out checks on homes to ensure that the premises is free of Aedes mosquitoes," he said.

Under the Destruction of Disease Bearing Insects Act 1975, any residential home found with the Aedes larvae would be issued a fine of RM100 while shop premises will be slapped with a RM500 fine. For construction and industrial sites, they will be fined RM1,000 each.