Combat dengue on more fronts

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Mobile fever clinics should be set up in dengue outbreak areas to arrest the spread of the disease, said the head of medical microbiology at University Ma-laya Medical Centre Prof Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar.
He said infected humans were the main carriers and multipliers of the virus which caused dengue fever.
"The virus circulates in the blood of infected humans for two to seven days, about the same time that they have a fever, and female Aedes mosquitoes may acquire the virus when they feed on an individual during this period. and transmit it to the next human they feed on."
Some studies have shown that monkeys in some parts of the world play a similar role in transmission.
"Early detection and temporary quarantine of the infected person will help reduce transmission of the disease to immediate family members and neighbours, besides fogging," he told the New Straits Times when commenting on the call by Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai to form additional special task force teams at the district level nationwide to intensify the war against dengue.
The task force teams were to embark on a mosquito breeding spot search-and-destroy mission.
The number of dengue cases spiralled to 4,221 with 12 deaths in the first 23 days of this month compared with 2,103 cases, including five deaths, during the corresponding period last year.
Selangor had the highest number with 1,727 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (307 cases) and Penang (227).
The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades.
Some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue. The World Health Organisation estimates 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.
Dr Sazaly said while the Health Ministry embarked on methods to destroy Aedes mosquitoes, it should also work aggressively on the early detection of people with dengue fever.
It should use techniques that could identify dengue antigens within a day -- Dengue NS1 and PCR molecular detection -- which were available at Institute for Medical Research, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, UMMC, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor, Penang general hospital and major private hospitals.
"Malaysia is at the peak of the dengue outbreak. The number of cases should go down by March but will rise if Malaysians do not take any initiative to help the government fight dengue."
He called on those returning from the Chinese New Year holidays to ensure that they cleaned out all containers containing water, such as earthenware jars, metal drums and concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage.