The Number Of Dengue Cases Has Dropped In The Past Year

According to a report by the New Straits Times, the amount of reported cases reduced by 37.5 per cent!

As of 24 February, a total of 9,072 cases were reported compared to 14,513 cases in the same period last year.

The number of deaths caused by dengue has also reduced by 50 per cent, from 40 cases recorded last year to 20 cases.

We must be doing something right!

Nevertheless, Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that there were still 383 locations in 11 states with active dengue cases.

"In the same week, 36 hotspot localities were reported involving four states. Thirty in Selangor, three in Perak, two in Sabah and one in Penang," he told NST.

Those who are living in flats need to take extra precautions because the ovitrap index (used to detect the presence of mosquito eggs) recorded a higher percentage there as opposed to apartments.

Based on a recent study, the ovitrap index was 16.7 per cent in flats, while apartments recorded 6.1 per cent.

Besides that, the level of cleanliness recorded in some residential areas are still not as satisfying in terms of preventing dengue.

Household items like pails, vase, food containers and even rubbish were left abandoned and thrown on rooftops. Clogged drainages were also left unattended in some areas.

All those could lead to the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, so the public and local councils really need to work together to combat the spread of dengue cases.