Demolition rubble at Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri, Johor Baru. Poor environmental hygiene and stagnant water can lead to proliferation of mosquito-breeding spots.
Pasir Gudang City Council has launched campaigns to alert the public on the likelihood of a rise in dengue infections.
The transitional phase of the monsoon season creates ideal conditions for the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, the vector for dengue.
However, city councillor S. Mahendran said the ongoing awareness and clean-up campaigns would be ineffective if the public did not take proactive measures to protect their community.
“In Johor, it is hot during the day and rains in the evening. This means we need to ensure there is no stagnant water in our housing areas.
“Our standard operating procedure usually involves investigations once a dengue case is reported.
“This is done before we conduct any fogging or clean up in affected areas.
“Officers from the Health Department will also be going around inspecting and issuing warnings or compounds to premises found to be mosquito breeding grounds,” he told StarMetro.
Mahendran said this when asked to comment on Johor health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon’s statement on an increase in dengue cases in the state.
He said it was high time the public acted to prevent the number of cases from rising.
“Last year, there were three dengue cases reported in Kota Bestari. Although there were no deaths, it was very alarming.”
He said this should be a reminder for the public to always be vigilant.
Iskandar Puteri City Council councillor Tan Hiang Kee said two main hotspots in the district were Flat Taman Perling (Jalan Camar) and Flat PPR Melana Indah.
“Despite continuous cleanup and awareness campaigns by the city council and state government, these two places have remained top as places with the most dengue cases.
“The main cause is poor environmental hygiene that has led to the proliferation of mosquito breeding areas,” she said.
Fogging has been conducted in the area once a month, she said, adding that public education and awareness were crucial in stemming the spread of dengue.
“There are limits to where the government and waste collection workers can go.
“Residents need to ensure their compounds and surroundings are free of stagnant water.
“This effort should be doubled in rural areas, especially among those without access to rubbish disposal services.”
Johor Baru City Council (MBJB)councillor Datuk Yahya Jaafar said MBJB planned to release Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes in Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri where three dengue cases were reported on April 22.
He attributed the rise in cases to improper disposal following the demolition of squatter homes, leading to the area becoming an active breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“We are no longer conducting fogging as it has no immediate effect.
“We are releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in hopes that this will help reduce the mosquito population,” he said, adding that the method had been used for the past three years.
