PUTRAJAYA: A total of 343 new cases of dengue fever were reported in the 19th Epidemiological Week (ME19) from May 5-11, taking the total number of cases to 2,338 compared to 1,995 the previous week.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said one death due to dengue fever complications was recorded during that period.
He said the cumulative number of reported dengue fever cases until ME19 is 57,220 compared to 41,175 cases for the same period in 2023, adding that there were 40 fatalities due to dengue fever complications (ME19) compared to 26 deaths for the same period in 2023.
"There were 60 hotspots reported in ME19 compared to 70 the previous week. Of the 60 hotspots reported, 45 were in Selangor; Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (seven); Sarawak (three); Penang (two); and one each in Kedah, Perak and Negeri Sembilan,” he said in a statement on Monday (May 20).
As for the expected decrease in rainfall and warmer weather during the Southwest Monsoon, he said the situation could contribute to an increase in the population of Aedes mosquitoes.
As such, the public is advised to continue ensuring there are no Aedes mosquito breeding places inside and outside houses by "seeking and destroying” such breeding places at least 10 minutes once a week. - Bernama
