Materia Medica Malaysiana

Dengue outbreak far from over yet

PUTRAJAYA: The dengue outbreak that killed at least 22 people nationwide in less than two months is far from over despite a drop in suspected cases for the first time last week.
Health Ministry disease control director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said the 963 cases reported last week, compared to 1,483 the week before, could even be misleading.
“There might be people who did not go to the hospital or clinic or had delayed in reporting due to the festive season last week.
“The drop must be for three to four weeks and it must reach between 400 and 200 suspected cases a week before we can consider the situation as back to normal.
“There are always between 400 and 200 suspected cases weekly because the virus is always around in Malaysia,” he told a media briefing here yesterday.
On the 22 deaths, Dr Ramlee said Kuala Lumpur topped with eight, followed by Selangor (five), Pahang (three), Perak (two) and one each in Penang, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Sabah.
He said ensuring that there was no breeding places for the aedes mosquitoes was the most effective preventive measure, adding that the change from dry to wet weather usually sawa rise in dengue cases.
Dr Ramlee said construction sites still topped the list of breeding grounds followed by vacant land and factories.