Sixty-three deaths from dengue fever was recorded nationwide for the period Jan 1 to April 4 this year, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said 26,107 cases of dengue fever were reported nationwide during the period, and if no preventive measures were taken, it could be a major threat to the community and nation.

"In this regard, in conjunction with World Health Day this year, I hope that Malaysians will be more aware of the threat of dengue, especially the Aedes mosquito, the bearer of a dangerous disease which can kill," he said in a statement, here, on Monday.

World Health Day is celebrated with the theme 'Small Bite, Big Threat' in reference to the Aedes mosquito.

The World Health Organisation has estimated that more than 2.5 billion or 40 per cent of the world's population are at risk of being infected with dengue and 50 million to 100 million dengue infections are expected each year.

"This clearly shows that dengue fever has become a major burden to the world and showing a very prolific rate of increase," it said.