Dengue
cases may have gone down in recent years but the Aedes mosquito is still a
cause for concern.
Health Ministry statistics have recorded 467
cases nationwide from December 2 to 8, an increase of 56 cases from about a
month before.
Deputy director-general (Public Health) Dr
Lokman Hakim Sulaiman attributed this slight rise to the monsoon season.
“With more rain, there are more breeding
places for Aedes mosquitoes. This increases the adult Aedes density and the
risk of dengue.”
He said that flooding caused by heavy rain
could heighten the risk of food and water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea,
typhoid, Hepatitis A and even leptospirosis.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department
previously said many parts of the country were in for a spell of wet weather.
As such, Dr Lokman advised the public to stem
the spread of dengue in their surroundings, adding that fogging measures were
not enough.
He said Malaysians should avoid flood waters
whenever possible especially if they suffered cuts or lesions.
From January until December 8, there were
20,837 dengue cases and 34 deaths. Last year for the same period, there were
18,583 cases and 34 deaths.
In comparison, the same period during 2010
recorded 44,641 cases and 132 deaths.
Government officials previously attributed
this decline to Communication Behavioural Impact (Combi) campaigns aimed at
checking the disease.
News Desk
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