Subang Jaya has highest number of dengue cases

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Subang Jaya recorded the highest number of dengue cases in the first 11 weeks of the year.
As of last Saturday, the municipality recorded 1,023 suspected dengue cases with five deaths, outstripping Shah Alam, which recorded 711 cases.
Parliamentary secretary to the Health Ministry Datuk Lee Kah Choon said that for this year, the number of suspected dengue infections stood at 12,086 cases.
“This number is still high, particularly for areas in Selangor and Federal Territory, which continue to be the hotspots for dengue infections,” he told reporters after a briefing with health and local authority officers at his office here yesterday.
Lee said the Government remained concerned over the lack of effort shown by some residents in the Klang Valley in controlling the spread of the disease and the breeding of aedes mosquitoes.
“For instance, we have had problems with abandoned houses and barred premises, which proved to be obstacles to health officers checking for mosquito breeding.
“Residents must also keep an eye out on houses undergoing renovations. More often than not, these premises are not taken care of and unwanted materials are just dumped outside the compound and clog up drains.
“We can’t fine or compound these property owners even if the rubbish is found to be a breeding ground for aedes because it is outside their premises.
“The neighbours should instead make sure that the rubbish is collected or disposed of properly because if there is any breeding of mosquitoes, they are the ones at risk of contracting dengue,” he said.
Lee said the ministry was also mulling over the possibility of setting up “dengue centres”, like those currently set up by the health officers in the Petaling district.
“Our officers establish a 200m radius around a dengue hotspot and methodically carry out fogging, eradication and education programmes.
“But under the dengue centre system, the residents staying within the area are roped into these programmes and then given a map showing the area where cases have surfaced,” he said.