THE number of dengue fever cases reported in the 12th epidemiological week this year (March 19-25) increased by 14.8% to 2,469 cases from 2,151 in the previous week.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said one death due to dengue fever complications was also reported.

He said the cumulative number of dengue cases reported so far is 26,222 compared to 8,124 in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 223%, with 17 deaths compared to four during the same period in 2022.

“A total of 81 hotspots were reported this week compared to 91 in the previous week. Of which, 52 were in Selangor, followed by Penang (15), Sabah (6), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (4), Perak (3) and Kedah (1),” he said in a statement today.

Noor Hisham said one chikungunya case was reported, taking the cumulative figure to date to 107 cases.

Following the surge in dengue cases, Noor Hisham said the cabinet committee to combat dengue has been reactivated, and a meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Tuesday.

He said the committee involved 12 ministries, all the menteri besar and chief minister’s offices and the Federal Territories Department.

In the meantime, Noor Hisham urged local community leaders, residents committees, joint management bodies, neighbourhood watch members and the authorities to mobilise the community to search for and destroy Aedes breeding grounds on a regular basis.

He also encouraged civil society groups and private entities to support control and prevention initiatives.

“Every level of society needs to take responsibility and act to reduce the increasing incidences of dengue fever,” he said. – Bernama, March 31, 2023.