Materia Medica Malaysiana

Ministry Warns Of Potential Dengue Outbreak In KL And Three States

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Selangor, Penang, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory may face a dengue epidemic in one or two months unless the people in these areas take drastic preventive measures, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek warned Friday.
He said in the past month Selangor reported an increase from the normal average 120 cases a week to 350 cases, Federal Territory from 100 to 250, Penang from 20 to 50 and Pahang from 30 to 80.
"This is a signal that we will be faced with an outbreak of the disease in certain states," he told reporters after visiting the Kuala Terengganu Hospital today.
He said as a preventive measure the ministry had inspected 2.83 million premises throughout the country, of which the owners of 14,186 premises were fined for breeding mosquitoes, 59 were charged in court and 13 closed down.
The ministry also disinfected more than 155,000 premises and carried out fogging from time to time.
"However, I urge the people especially those living in urban areas to give their full cooperation in preventing stagnant water from forming in their premises as no amount of enforcement or fogging will bring the desired results if they don't.
"The people must make sure their homes are not breeding ground for mosquitoes which multiply very quickly during the rainy season," he said.
Chua also said the ministry would give more attention to the Kuala Terengganu Hospital as it is the only major hospital in the state in the absence of private ones.