Sharp dengue surge sets off alarm
Dengue fever cases in Malaysia have surged by 66% this year, with fatalities nearly doubling compared to the same period last year. The government is responding with large-scale community cleaning programs and the continued deployment of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes to suppress the virus.
Why it matters
The sharp rise in dengue infections highlights a growing public health crisis that requires both community intervention and careful management of biological control programs.
PUTRAJAYA: Dengue cases have surged by 66% so far this year, with 65,979 infections recorded as of epidemiological week 35 compared with 39,616 during the same period last year, says Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister said the number of deaths has also nearly doubled, with 62 fatalities recorded over the same period compared with 32 last year, an increase of 93.8%.
He said the Cabinet was briefed on the dengue situation during its meeting yesterday, including measures being taken to contain the sharp rise in cases.
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