A total of 2,444 cases of dengue fever were recorded in the 20th epidemiological week (ME) from May 14 to 20, which increased by 9% or 202 cases from 2,242 cases reported in the previous week.
Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan in a statement in Putrajaya yesterday said two deaths were also recorded this week.
He said the cumulative number of dengue cases reported to date was 43,619 compared to 16,144 cases recorded in the same period last year, which is an increase of 170.2%.
“There were 28 deaths due to dengue complications reported compared to only nine deaths for the same period last year,” he said.
According to Radzi, 77 hotspots were reported this week compared to 87 in the previous week, with 51 localities in Selangor, Penang (14), Sabah (six), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (three), Kedah (two) and Perak (one).
Meanwhile, he said the cumulative number of chikungunya cases to date is 131.
For Zika surveillance, a total of 1,114 blood samples and 49 urine samples were screened and the results were all negative.