KOTA KINABALU: Two people, including a four-year-old girl, are reported to have died from health complications caused by dengue fever in Sabah.
These deaths, recorded up to the 15th epidemiological week (ME15, ending April 15), meant that a cumulative five dengue-related fatalities have been recorded in the state this year.
Three children aged between nine and 12 had earlier succumbed up to ME6, ending Feb 11.
In the latest case, Sabah health director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said, a local girl from Sri Taman in the east coast Sandakan district died on April 6 due to complications caused by dengue haemorrhagic fever.
The second victim, Dr Rose Nani said, was a 40-year-old woman who hailed from Lawas in Sarawak but had travelled to Penampang district near here last year.
She said the woman died in Sarawak after suffering from dengue fever with complications of heart inflammation.
"However, because the woman had a travel history to Taman Donggongon in Penampang during the incubation period in 2022, the Health Ministry recommended that her death be recorded in Penampang this year," she said in a statement on Thursday (April 20).
"Both the cases were recorded in double-storey terrace housing areas," she added.
Dr Rose Nani said Sabah has so far recorded a cumulative 3,185 dengue cases from January to April 15.
She said, however, the number of weekly dengue cases showed a downward trend starting from ME3 to date.
"From our observations, we found that the weekly cases reported were over 250 in the first and second week of January this year.
"In ME15, the number was 152 cases compared to 165 the previous week, a decrease of 13 (8.6%)," she said.
As such, she urged the public to spend at least 10 minutes of their day to find and destroy breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes in and around their homes.
"Also, apply aerosol sprays around the house in the early morning and evening.
"If family members or friends experience symptoms of dengue fever such as high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, joint or muscle pain, seek treatment immediately," she said.
