KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue fever cases in the 17th epidemiological week from April 22 to 29 dropped by 102 cases, or 5.4%, from 1,877 in the previous week.
Health director-general Dr Radzi Abu Hassan said no deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported during the week.
“The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far is 36,997, an increase of 24,056 cases or 185.9% compared to 12,941 cases for the same period last year,” he said in a statement.
Radzi said there were 103 hotspot localities reported in the past week compared to 116 previously, with 58 in Selangor, 25 in Penang and seven in Sabah.
There were also six dengue fever hotspots in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, followed by Perak with five, and one each in Kedah and Sarawak.
Meanwhile, there were four cases of chikungunya – two in Selangor and one each in Kedah and Perak – taking the cumulative number of cases of the virus to 1,242.
“As for the zika virus surveillance, a total of 973 blood samples and 37 urine samples were screened, and the results were all negative,” he said.
Radzi advised the public to eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding grounds and to use larvicides in water storage containers to prevent the insects from breeding.