45 dengue deaths recorded since January

A total of 63,966 dengue fever cases and 45 fatalities were recorded from January to mid-July this year, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

She said the number of cases rose by 129.2% from 27,914 in the same period last year, while deaths increased by 136.8% or 19 cases.

"Speaking of environmental cleanliness, dengue fever is one of the illnesses that can be a constant concern. So to stop Aedes mosquitoes from breeding, everyone must take responsibility for maintaining a clean environment," she said in her speech at the state-level Madani Afiat and One-Hour Malaysia Clean Up Programme at the Padang Hiliran people’s housing in Kuala Terengganu yesterday.

Speaking to reporters later, Zaliha said the ministry was looking at the effectiveness of the current strategy of controlling dengue through the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.

"We have implemented this initiative in 28 areas, with success rates ranging from 30% to 100%. We plan to continue monitoring its effectiveness for a year or two, and if it proves successful, we will roll it out nationwide," she said.