Health Alerts

National dengue fever data for 2019 (57,975 cases and 88 deaths) split into regions reveal the extent of the outbreak in the state of Selangor (33,215 cases), followed by Kuala Lumpur (5,790), Johor (4,758), Pulau Pinang (2,924) and Sabah (2,470). In Sarawak, authorities announced a three-fold increase in dengue reporting for the year to June compared to the same period in 2018 – of the 807 cases, more than 260 were in the state capital, Kuching. While in the Philippines, dengue cases have doubled in the Eastern Visayas region which takes in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Biliran. Punitive measures could be used against residents in Thailand who do not keep their immediate environment clear of mosquito larvae after authorities declared a dengue fever outbreak. To June 11 this year there had been 28,785 cases and 43 deaths. And in Myanmar, Yangon’s dengue fever cases have risen to 630, however, serious infections have also increased leading to eight deaths. With the current peak season now in progress, warnings have been issued in high-risk dengue endemic states – Yangon, Mandalay and Taninthayi. Cambodia’s wet season is also in full swing and this year had already proved more severe for dengue fever compared to last year. According to the dengue control programme manager, six provinces (Kandal, Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom and Preah Sihanouk) as well as the capital, Phnom Penh, are reporting dengue infections. Kaohsiung, a large port city in Taiwan’s south, is the site of 21 locally-acquired dengue fever cases of which 20 are part of a cluster. The most recent case, a woman from Sanmin District, is reported to be infected with DENV-4 serotype whereas most indigenous dengue in Taiwan is caused by types 1 or 2. Singapore’s NEA is reporting ‘the number of weekly reported dengue cases have more than quadrupled in the past 3 months’ and ‘active dengue clusters have also more than doubled in the past month’ as the YTD case total climbed past 5,300 on June 18. Thirty-three clusters are considered high risk, producing 10 or more cases. Ten of the 16 states in Palau have reported dengue cases however the greatest burden has been in the south – almost 90% of all cases have been in Koror, Airai and Aimeliik. Read more.