By Sheeda Fathil
SHAH ALAM, March 28 — The state government has proposed using drones to monitor locations where dengue outbreaks occur in Selangor, said state executive councillor for public health Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud.
She said Selangor will also develop an app specifically aimed at detecting these focus areas of these localities.
“InsyaAllah we are still in the discussion phase and perhaps in the nearest future, we will be able to monitor dengue outbreaks with drones and apply larvae-killing drugs in risky areas.
“Asides from this, we will also develop a hotspot locality detection app that can be accessed by the wider society,” Dr Siti Mariah said in a special interview with Media Selangor recently.
The councillor also advised the public to constantly maintain the cleanliness of their surroundings and ensure no stagnant water is present that could lead to Aedes mosquitoes breeding.
“Sometimes people are not too concerned with dengue, usually because they’ve never experienced it themselves but I call upon society to be vigilant with their surroundings and maintain cleanliness,” she said.
Dengue cases in the state have increased by another 1,112 cases or 35.9 per cent in the ninth week of the epidemiological week for 2021 (until March 5) with Petaling district recording the highest cumulative cases at 1,460.
