PUTRAJAYA, March 8 — The number of dengue fever cases has dropped to 3,268 in the 9th Epidemiological Week (ME9), from February 25 to March 2, compared with 3,572 cases reported in the previous week.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said three deaths, due to complications from dengue fever, were reported in the same period.
“The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported in ME9 is 32,381 cases, compared with 19,450 for the same period in 2023,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, 19 deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported, compared with 15 deaths for the same period last year.
The number of hotspot localities reported in ME9 was 184, compared with 196 reported in the previous week.
Of the 184 hotspot localities, 153 of them were in Selangor, 13 in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, five in Penang, four each in Negeri Sembilan and Sabah, two in Kedah, and one each in Perak, Johor, and Sarawak, respectively.
For chikungunya surveillance, Dr Radzi said no cases were recorded in ME9, with the cumulative number of chikungunya cases to date at six. No chikungunya outbreak was reported in ME9.
Meanwhile, for Zika surveillance, 402 blood samples and one urine sample were screened, and the results were all negative.
“The 2024/2025 school session will start in March 2024, and all school staff will return to duty alongside the students who will start the new school session.
“As the schools have been closed for a month, the school environment may have become a breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes, which can threaten the health of students, teachers, and school staff,” he said.
Therefore, Dr Radzi said that schools and companies which they contract to carry out cleaning activities must take steps to curb the spread of dengue infection on the premises.
— Bernama
