KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 — The public have been reminded that an increase in the number of dengue cases over the last four weeks will continue in an upward momentum until early next year if immediate action was not taken.
Health Ministry Disease Control Division director Dr Chong Chee Kheong also warned that the possibility of a dengue epidemic in 2010 may repeat itself if the current situation persists.
He stressed that, with the worrying trend, the involvement of society to reduce and eradicate breeding areas for Aedes was needed.
“Furthermore, all government agencies, private sector companies and non-government organisations must together take the initiative to eradicate dengue,” he said in a statement, here, today.
Chong said, until December 15, the cumulative total of reported dengue cases was 20,923 or an increase of 10 percent compared to 19,105 cases during the same period last year.
He said 10 states that recorded an increase in the number of cases this year compared to the same period last year were Kelantan (69 per cent), Perlis (63 per cent), Sabah (61 per cent), Kedah (59 per cent), Sarawak (52 per cent), Perak (23 per cent), Selangor (17 per cent), Terengganu (12 per cent), Johor and Malacca (three per cent each).
He said 35 deaths from dengue fever were recorded during the same period compared to 36 last year.
Chong said the factor which resulted in an increase in dengue fever was the high rate of breeding of Aedes mosquitoes.
According to him, during the 50th week, between December 9 to 15, 536 cases were reported, namely, exceeding the 500 cases a week, after recording under 500 cases a week for 39 weeks. — Bernama
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