KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 – With the dengue situation predicted to take a turn for the worse with the current hot and dry weather due to the El Nino phenomenon, the states are swinging into action to combat the menace. In Johor Baharu, Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat in a statement said the state government hd launched a Mega Anti-Dengue Operation to combat dengue throughout the state.
He said it was to get rid of dengue breeding grounds and entailed cleaning up, fogging and enforcement. He said dengue cases shot up by 301 per cent to 513 cases in the first week of the year as compared to 128 cases during the corresponding period last year but no fatalities were reported.
In Melaka, Melaka Health Department director Datuk Dr Ghazali Othman said the state was stepping up Communication-for-Behavioural-Impact. (COMBI) in the Prevention and Control of Dengue operations to mitigate the situation. He said everyone has to play their part in the fight against dengue because we are all at risk.
The state recorded 73 dengue cases from Jan 3 to 9 as compared to 48 cases in the same period last year but there were also no fatalities. The situation was the same in Penang, with 155 cases reported from Jan 3 to 9, 25 cases more that the corresponding period last year.
However, no fatalities were recorded during the period whereas there were two deaths due to dengue from Jan 3 to 9 last year. Penang Health director Datuk Dr Zailan Adnan said the health authorities were focusing on stamping out Aedes breeding grounds.
