Bangkok--Sep 30--eTurboNews
NEW DELHI, India (eTurboNews) - Even as Indonesia is trying to overcome bird-flu virus scare, another Southeast Asian country is struggling to cope with dengue cases.
A report in Malaysia stated: "A dengue outbreak is imminent. And this time, the government fears that the death toll and number of cases may be higher than last year's nationwide outbreak." There are indications that dengue fever is nearing an epidemic and joined neighbor Singapore in declaring war on the deadly mosquito-borne virus.
As per the information available, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek warned that this might turn out to be one of the worst epidemics if not contained. The number of cases and deaths reported have been on the rise every week since August 28: 507 cases between August 28 and September 3; 703 cases between September 4 and 10; 682 cases between September 11 and 17; and 752 cases between September 18 and 24. Between January 1 and September 24, 27,569 dengue cases were notified with 7,814 confirmed, while the disease claimed 70 lives, including 16 children aged between one and 14 years. On its part, the government had started to use larvicidal biological control Bti (bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis) in the fogging of dengue-prone areas since last month.
"We are warning the public that an outbreak is imminent. And they must take all precautions to keep their compounds clean and free of mosquito breeding grounds. They should also seek medical treatment if they suffer continuous fever," said the minister.
It has been disclosed that several dengue hotspots had been identified - Johor Baru; the southwestern part of Penang island; various parts in Selangor and the Federal Territory, including Shah Alam, Kajang, Kuala Lumpur, Cheras, Setapak, Ampang Jaya and Gombak; and Negri Sembilan.
According to Reuters, with a population a fifth the size of Malaysia, Singapore had 10,237 cases up to September 17, surpassing the 9,459 incidents recorded in 2004, when dengue infections hit a 10-year high. The scale of the outbreak in a city known for its clean streets and modern sanitation has baffled Singapore's government and led to sweeping measures to kill mosquitoes.
Malaysia tourism authority isn't, too, perturbed regarding affect on tourism.
"Dengue has been here for a long time, the increase in cases is just a matter of seasonal reporting. Malaysia has people who are experienced in handling dengue cases. We have even developed new methods of preventing breeding of mosquitoes," Malaysian Tourism Minister Dr. Leo Michael Toyad told Channel News Asia.
Peter de Jong, president and chief executive officer, Pacific Asia Travel Association said, "We had the Bali bomb, SARS, avian flu and the tsunami. We've had something every year. But the good news is that, in spite of all these crises that we have experienced, our growth has continued."
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