One more dengue death takes total to 18 this year

PETALING JAYA: One more dengue-related death has been recorded as of Monday (April 3), bringing the total to 18 so far this year.

According to the iDengue site, a total of 29,143 dengue cases were recorded in the country from Jan 1 to Monday.

Selangor led all states and territories with 14,933 cases, followed by Sabah (2,916), Kuala Lumpur (2,669), Penang (2,450), Johor (1,949) and Kedah (1,058).

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At present there are 2,936 active outbreaks in localities throughout the country.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said the dengue virus serotype surveillance system reported a shift in predominant circulating dengue serotype from DEN-3 to DEN-4 in mid-2021 until the end of last year.

At the moment, another switch has been observed from DEN-4 to DEN-2 which has contributed to the rise in cases, the ministry said.

In terms of contributing factors, it said prolonged rainy seasons alternating with hot weather also provide abundant breeding places for Aedes mosquitoes.

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Furthermore, the Aedes mosquito emerges faster from the egg and becomes more aggressive in biting and breeding behaviour, it added.

"The frequent population movement from a dengue-prone area to a non-endemic dengue area will introduce the dengue virus to a 'dengue-naive' population," the ministry said.

On March 30, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the rising dengue cases were part of its cyclical trend and expected to peak this year.

The dengue trend follows a cyclical pattern with an epidemic being reported every four to five years, Dr Noor Hisham added.

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On March 28, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that dengue cases in the country saw a massive 223% spike this year up to March compared to the same period last year.

He also noted that the number of deaths from dengue complications had risen by over 300% to 17 this year from four last year.