KUALA LUMPUR – The cumulative total of dengue cases this year until December 16 recorded a rise of 89.3%, to 117,505 cases from 62,060 cases in 2022, Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said.
He added that there were 92 deaths due to dengue fever complications recorded this year in the same period compared to 49 deaths last year.
“In the 50th Epidemiological Week 2023 (EW50), from December 10 to 16, dengue cases rose by 6.5%, or 192 cases, with 3140 cases compared to 2,948 cases the previous week.
“The number of hotspots recorded in EW50 also rose to 124 localities compared to 101 localities in the previous week,” he said in a statement today, adding that 95 of the hotspots were in Selangor, 13 in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, seven in Perak, four in Sabah, two in Negri Sembilan and one each in Kedah, Penang and Sarawak.
Radzi said dengue cases are expected to rise till next year and the public should take precautions against dengue by ensuring the cleanliness of their homes and environments and destroying any potential breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito.
Those with dengue symptoms, including continuous fever, diarrhoea as well as aches and pains even with a negative Covid-19 test, are advised to take a fever test at the nearest health facility.
Regarding chikungunya case surveillance, he said there was no outbreak detected in EW50 but one case was recorded, bringing the total to 193 cases and that 3,733 blood samples and 411 urine samples were screened for zika, all of which produced negative results. – December 23, 2023