Health DG: Dengue cases increase from May 12 to 18, two deaths reported

Reported dengue fever cases increased to 2,461 in the 20th Epidemiological Week (ME20), from May 12 to 18, compared with 2,338 cases reported in the previous week.

Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said two deaths due to complications from dengue fever were also recorded during the period.

He said the cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported up to ME20 was 59,681 cases compared with 43,619 cases for the same period in 2023, while there were 42 deaths due to dengue fever complications reported compared with 28 deaths for the same period last year.

“The number of hotspot localities reported in ME20 was 59 compared with 60 recorded in the previous week, with 44 localities in Selangor; four localities each in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Sarawak; Kedah (three); Perak (two) and one locality each in Penang and Negeri Sembilan,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, he said one chikungunya case was recorded in ME20, and the cumulative number of chikungunya cases to date is 25 cases with no outbreak reported.

As for Zika surveillance, he said 1,021 blood samples and six urine samples were screened and all results were negative.

Radzi said that given that now is a school holiday, schools and the appointed cleaning contractors are advised to take steps to prevent dengue, including destroying Aedes mosquito breeding grounds inside and outside the school buildings and discarding containers or rubbish that can hold water.

- Bernama