Dengue cases drop 5.4 percent last week - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue fever cases in the 17th epidemiological week (ME17) from April 22 to 29 this year dropped by 102 cases or 5.4 per cent to 1,775 cases from 1,877 cases in the previous week.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said no deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported during the period.

"The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far is 36,997, an increase of 24,056 cases or 185.9 per cent compared to 12,941 cases for the same period last year," he said in a statement today.

Dr Muhammad Radzi said there were 103 hotspot localities reported in ME17 compared to 116 in the previous week, with 58 in Selangor, Penang (25) and Sabah (seven).

The Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya recorded six localities, followed by Perak (five), and one each in Kedah and Sarawak.

Meanwhile, on the chikungunya virus surveillance, he said there were four cases reported in ME17 with two cases in Selangor and one each in Kedah and Perak, taking the cumulative number of cases to 1,242.

"As for the zika virus surveillance, a total of 973 blood samples and 37 urine samples were screened, and the results were all negative," he added.

Dr Muhammad Radzi also advised the public to always eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding grounds in addition to using larvicides in water storage containers to prevent the insects from breeding.

-- BERNAMA