PUTRAJAYA, Oct 8 — The number of dengue cases rose to 1,760 in the 39th Epidemiological Week (ME39) from September 22 to 28, compared with 1,514 cases in ME38.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said one death due to dengue complications was also recorded during the period.
He said the cumulative number of dengue cases reported up to ME39 was 103,510 cases, compared with 89,474 in the same period in 2023.
“There were 92 deaths due to dengue complications reported, compared with 65 fatalities in the same period last year,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Radzi said the number of hotspots reported in ME39 was 32, down from 33 reported the week before.
Of the total, he said, 21 were in Selangor, five in Negeri Sembilan, three in Penang, two in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and one in Kelantan.
Meanwhile, Dr Radzi said one chikungunya case was recorded in ME39, taking the cumulative number of cases to 76.
As for Zika surveillance, he said 2,027 blood samples, eight urine samples and three cerebrospinal fluid samples were screened, and all results were negative.
Dr Radzi said dengue has a seasonal transmission pattern, and there has been a decline in dengue fever cases since last August.
He said according to the trend from the previous year, an increase in dengue cases is expected towards the end of the year due to weather conditions and human movement.
Therefore, preventive measures, such as maintaining a clean environment and eliminating breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, should continue to be implemented to prevent a surge in cases in the future.
— Bernama
