MALAYSIA has been seeing a steady downtrend in dengue cases since 2019, with 24,049 cases reported this year to December 4, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told The Malaysian Insight.

The number of cases peaked in 2019 at 130,101 reported infections.

“The number of dengue cases reported this dropped by 72.2% (62,357 cases) compared to the previous year.

“In addition, all states reported reductions in the number of dengue cases, by between 33% and 95%,” Noor Hisham said.

“For this year to December 4, the cumulative number of reported dengue cases were 24,049 compared to 86,406 cases during the same period last year.”

Noor Hisham said the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease have also gone down by 86.4%, with 19 deaths this year compared to 140 deaths during the same period last year.

He added that hospitals are also seeing fewer admissions for dengue cases.

“From January to Dec 4, 25% (6,085 cases) of dengue patients were admitted in hospitals compared to 51% (46,105 cases) in the previous year,” he said.

Selangor reported 14,336 cases, the highest by state or territory. However, this is significantly lower than last year’s count of 42,795.

Meanwhile, Labuan reported six cases last year and five this year.

The peak of transmissions usually occurs in the late monsoon season: October through February in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, and July through August in the west coast of the peninsula.

There is currently no vaccine for the disease, which has now become endemic in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Preventive measures – such as using mosquito repellents on skin and clothing, avoiding heavily populated residential areas, staying in air-conditioned or screened areas, using bed nets if sleeping areas are not screened or air-conditioned, and eliminating mosquito breeding sites – have been recommended by the Health Ministry. – December 11, 2021.