Dengue: 13 deaths recorded in Johor

JOHOR BAHRU - A total of 13 dengue-related deaths have been recorded in Johor as of the 39th epidemiology week which ended on Sept 30.

State Health and Unity Exco Ling Tian Soon said a total of 7,776 dengue cases have been reported in Johor from the beginning of the year until the end of September.

"For Epid Week 39 alone, a total of 233 cases were recorded, including one death.

"Out of the total dengue cases reported during epi week 39, 86 cases, or 36.9 per cent, were reported from epidemic areas, while 147 cases, or 63.1 per cent, were reported from non-epidemic areas," he said in a statement today.

He added that the districts reporting the highest number of cases were Johor Bahru, contributing 161 cases, or 69.1 per cent, followed by Kulai with 41 cases, or 17.6 per cent.

In Kluang, he said, six cases were reported (2.6 per cent), Muar and Kota Tinggi each had five cases (2.1 per cent), Batu Pahat and Segamat each had four cases (1.7 per cent), Tangkak and Pontian each had three cases (1.3 per cent), and Mersing had one case (0.4 per cent).

"In epi week 39, 33 new epidemic areas were reported in Johor, with 29 cases (87.9 per cent) in Johor Bahru and four cases (12.1 per cent) in Kulai," he said.

He said the cumulative total of epidemic areas in Johor until epi week 39 was 990, compared to 276 in the same period last year, representing a 259 per cent increase.

He said efforts to destroy breeding grounds were ongoing by health officers both inside and outside homes.

"The discovery of breeding sites and risky breeding areas inside homes indicates that the public is still not fully aware of cleaning and elimination of potential mosquito breeding sites," he said.

He said that enforcement activities carried out recorded 4,373 compounds being issued with a total value of RM2.1 million.

Of that total, 62.6 per cent paid for the compounds, said Tian Soon.