PUTRAJAYA: The number of dengue fever cases has increased by 14.8 per cent to 2,469 cases during this year's 12th epidemiological week, from March 19 to 25, compared with 2,151 cases in the previous week.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said one death due to dengue fever complications was also reported.
He said the cumulative number of reported dengue cases was 26,222, compared with 8,124 cases in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 18,098 cases, or 222.8 per cent.
He added that the number of recorded deaths had also increased to 17, compared with four deaths during the same period last year.
"A total of 81 hotspot localities were reported this week, compared with 91 in the previous week. Of the total, 52 were in Selangor, 15 in Penang, six in Sabah, four in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, three in Perak and one in Kedah," he said in a statement today.
Dr Noor Hisham said only one case of chikungunya was reported in the 12th epidemiological week, bringing the cumulative figure to date to 107 cases.
As for Zika, 600 blood samples and four urine samples were screened, and the results were all negative.
Following the surge in dengue cases in the country, Dr Noor Hisham said the Cabinet Committee to Combat Dengue had been reactivated, and a meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Tuesday.
He said the committee, which include 12 ministries, as well as the offices of all menteris besar and chief ministers, and the Federal Territories Department, was responsible for developing policies and strategies for the prevention and control of dengue fever in Malaysia.
Dr Noor Hisham urged local community leaders, joint management bodies, neighbourhood watch members and the authorities to mobilise the community to search for and destroy Aedes breeding grounds.
He also encouraged non-governmental organisations and private entities to support control and prevention initiatives.
"Every level of society needs to take responsibility and act proactively to reduce the incidences of dengue fever that is currently on the rise." -- BERNAMA