342 cases reported so far this year, number more than double that of same period last year
KUCHING: Dengue cases continue to soar statewide with 86 cases reported from Feb 6 till yesterday, and only Selangor has more cases in the nation so far this year.
Combined with the 256 cases reported from Jan 1 till Feb 5, the total number of 342 cases has more than double the total reported during the same period last year.
State Health Department director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan, when contacted yesterday, said there were only 158 cases during the corresponding period last year.
“As of now, Sarawak remains the state with the second highest number of dengue cases reported, after Selangor.”
Concern over the rising number of dengue cases was highlighted by the Health Department’s deputy director (Public Health) Dr Jamilah Hashim at the launching the state-level SC Johnson Anti Aedes Inter-School Rangers Competition at SMK Matang Jaya here two weeks ago.
She had said that as of Feb 5, 2013, a total of 256 dengue cases were reported, as compared to 84 cases during the same period last year.
Dr Jamilah added that the state registered 1,519 dengue cases last year, which was the fifth highest nationwide.
“The dengue cases started to increase in August last year and it continue to climb until today
(Feb 5). If we look at the data from our daily surveillance, the acceptable number of cases by the Ministry of Health for a week is only 30 cases, but since August, we have breached that number.”
She disclosed that the ministry had issued an instruction to the department to reduce the number of cases to below 30 cases per week by Feb 13.
Dr Jamilah said in order to win the war against dengue, everyone had to play their roles in preventing the breeding of dengue mosquitoes.
“We really need the people to inspect their house compounds, just 10 minutes per week. Aedes mosquito’s life cycle is just one week so if we can tackle that one week cycle then we will be able to break the life cycle and it will not grow to be Aedes.”