JOHOR BARU: With the fasting season coming up soon, bazaar operators and consumers are urged to keep the environment clean to avoid becoming Aedes mosquito breeding grounds.
Johor Health Department director Dr Mohtar Pungut@Ahmad said mosquitoes could breed even within a drop of water, so it is vital to ensure rubbish and food packaging are disposed of correctly.
“Often, when we clean and hose down certain areas at home and our surroundings, pockets of liquid are left neglected.
“These places are where the mosquitoes will breed,” he said after launching the state-level World Kidney Day celebration at a mall in Iskandar Puteri on Saturday (March 2).
He added that the Chinese New Year holiday and school break could also contribute to the increase in dengue cases as people leave their homes for days.
On Feb 19, Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon reportedly said the cumulative dengue cases in the state spiked by 157% in the seventh epidemiology week, with 2,555 cases compared to 994 cases in the same period last year.
Johor Baru recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Kulai, Kota Tinggi, Batu Pahat and Segamat.
Three deaths caused by dengue statewide were also reported in the same week.
