Dengue still prevalent

Dengue still prevalent
By Rosalina Mohamad
Tuesday February 3, 2009

KUANTAN: A total of 83 dengue cases have been reported in Pahang as of Jan 19, a slight increase compared to the 80 cases recorded in the same corresponding period last year.

Kuantan topped the list with 41 cases followed by Jerantut (10), Bera (six), five each in Temerloh and Maran, four each in Pekan and Raub, three each in Bentong and Rompin, two in Lipis and none in Cameron Highlands. [Yey! That's good. - Editor]

State health director Datuk Dr Rosnah Ismail said, to date, no deaths had been reported.

Eight locations were identified as problematic – seven in Kuantan and one in Jerantut, she added.

“The department has implemented four strategic measures to combat the problem including monitoring of control and prevention, mobilising the community to increase cleanliness campaigns and destroying mosquito-breeding grounds,” she said in a statement released here recently.

Dr Rosnah added that fogging had been carried out at 43,803 premises while search and destroy activities were enforced at 19,522 places.

A total of 278 premises were found to be aedes breeding grounds, she said.

As for chikungunya cases, Dr Rosnah said that 25 cases were reported in the same period.

“There were nine cases in Raub, four in Kuantan, three in Maran, three in Bera, two in Jerantut and one each in Temerloh, Pekan, Rompin and Lipis.

“A total of 343 chikungunya cases were reported in 2008,” she said.

Dr Rosnah urged everyone to cooperate with the department to prevent and control the disease.

All they needed was 10 minutes every week to check their compounds and destroy places that could be mosquito-breeding grounds, she said, adding that garbage must also be discarded properly.

People were also encouraged to use abate to kill larvae and to go to the nearest clinic if they had fever, she said.

“This is important for those who live in dengue areas,” Dr Rosnah said.

People should also allow the department’s personnel to fog inside and outside their homes and hold gotong royongs on a regular basis, she said.

To date, 11 gotong royongs involving 1,883 people had been held, she added.

Dr Rosnah said that those who violate the law could be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years, or both, and that the department had issued 85 compounds amounting to RM9,600.
-- The Star