72 Died From Dengue This Year

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Dengue has claimed 72 lives from January to yesterday, Health Ministry's Disease Control Division director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said.
He also said the number of suspected cases over the past week rose to 752 from 682 a week earlier.
From Sunday to yesterday, Penang registered 154 cases, Kuala Lumpur 71, Johor 38, Perak and Negeri Sembilan 28 each, Sarawak 22, Sabah 17, Pahang 13, Perlis six and Terengganu two.
There were no cases in Putrajaya and Labuan while the reports from Kedah, Melaka and Kelantan had not been received yet.
"Even though 25 cases were reported in Selangor within the period, I believe the number there is higher," he told reporters here Friday.
Dr Ramlee said of 27,569 cases reported up to Sept 24, a total of 7,992 were found to be dengue positive.
He said the areas considered dengue hot spots were still the southwest and northeast districts of Penang, Johor Baharu, Subang Jaya, Setapak, Gombak, Shah Alam, Kajang, Cheras and Ampang Jaya.
The ministry had re-deployed 225 health officers and staff from the less-affected states of Kedah, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor to help contain the outbreak, he said.
He said that besides fumigation, the ministry was trying out a biological method that used a "larvicidal Bti" insecticide in several dengue-affected areas to stop the breeding of aedes mosquitoes.
If the method was found to be successful, it would be expanded to other areas, Dr Ramlee said.