Fogging not final solution to dengue menace - Dr Subramaniam

Fogging is not the final solution to the worrying increase of dengue cases in the country, the Dewan Negara was told Monday.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the public should realise that the measure taken by the ministry was only temporary as fogging could only kill adult Aedes mosquitoes.

"The public should not depend too much on fogging as the most effective measure is their active involvement in destroying all Aedes mosquito breeding grounds in their homes and surrounding areas," he said in reply to a question from Senator Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Kader.

Dr Subramaniam said 66 deaths from dengue fever were reported nationwide between January and yesterday (April 20) out of the total 28,814 cases, which was clearly a high increase from the 92 deaths out of 43,346 cases recorded the whole of last year.

He said the serotype virus shift from DEN 4 to DEN 2 in March this year could further raise the number of deaths from dengue fever.

The DEN 2 serotype viral infection would result in more serious clinical manifestations and pose a higher risk to complications compared to other serotype infections.