Rise in deaths due to fever, dengue cases in KL - DBKL

The number of deaths due to high fever in the capital has increased double-fold, or 113 per cent this year, that is 32 cases, compared to 15 last year.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Health and Environment Department director Dr Hayati Abdullah said meanwhile, dengue cases had increased by 18.14 per cent over the same period, with 6,726 cases, up from 5,693 cases last year.

"Among the factors which contributed to the rise is the community's lack of concern about cleanliness," she told reporters, when launching the DBKL-Shell Anti Dengue Programme here, today.

Through this programme, Shell petrol stations would become centres to circulate flyers on dengue fever and distribute Abate larvicide to control mosquito breeding, for free, in addition to participating in gotong-royong activities organised by DBKL.

Besides that, Shell stations would also be selling the 'Mosquito Larvae Trap Device' created by DBKL's Health and Environment Department, as a new method to control the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes.

Dr Hayati said the habit of throwing rubbish everywhere and the existence of water-trapping containers, were among the main sources of Aedes breeding grounds while the current rainy season would allow them to breed even faster.

However, she said the biggest factor which led to the increase in the epidemic was the lack of awareness about the dangers of the disease, and not taking the initiative to keep the environment clean.