Dengue begins at home
By FLORENCE A. SAMY
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Homes can literally turn into death traps when it comes to dengue.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said authorities found Aedes larvae in the homes of more than 50% of people who died from dengue this year.
“As at Saturday, 30,350 dengue cases have been recorded, with 95 deaths. This is an increase from the 28,659 cases with 67 deaths recorded in the same period last year,” he said.
“We must take a serious proactive approach in fighting dengue. It is important to be aware that our homes can be breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes,” he said after launching a blood donation campaign by Naturally Plus Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the National Blood Centre here yesterday.
Liow said for the week ending on Saturday alone, there were 847 dengue cases in the country, with one death recorded in the Federal Territory, adding that authorities were meeting dengue experts to find ways to combat the disease.
He said the Institute of Medical Research was also conducting a study on the drug-resistant NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1) superbug identified in India and Pakistan.
“We are waiting for the results before making an announcement. We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm.
“We are concerned about this bug as any bacteria, especially one described as a superbacteria can cause harm to the body. There are no details from the World Health Organisation yet,” he added.
The superbug had reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several people from Britain, Australia and the United States, who had travelled to India and Pakistan for surgery. The Belgian was reportedly infected by the bacteria after being hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury following a car accident.
According to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NDM-1 is an “enzyme that destroys many commonly used antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.”
On the leptospirosis and melioidosis infections that had claimed nine lives so far, Liow said these could be treated if detected early.
Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water-and-earth-borne bacteria.
“Those who feel sick or have fever, especially after outdoor activities, should seek treatment immediately,” he added.
Earlier, Liow encouraged people to donate blood during the current festive season when supply was low.
He added that 565,604 blood units were donated to the National Blood Centre last year
Global warming may be cause of sharp rise in dengue cases: LiowBy ONG HAN SEAN
BENTONG: Global warming and changing weather patterns appear to have led to an “alarming” rise in dengue cases and deaths in the region.
“Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand are seeing an increase in dengue cases, as well. This could be due to the rainy season and global warming.
"The changing weather appears to cause the mosquitoes to breed faster," he said.
As a result, public cooperation was vital in the fight against the disease, he said.
“The ministry cannot fight this war alone. We need the concerted effort of everyone to reduce the number of dengue deaths,” he said.
The death toll from dengue cases this year, as of Sunday, had already hit 100 compared to 67 last year, said Liow.
“During the same period last year, there were 29,183 reported cases. This year, we’re already up to 31,375 cases. The situation now is really alarming,” he told reporters after launching the second Bentong Health Carnival Sunday.
He urged the public to give its full cooperation to the ministry’s gotong-royong programmes to combat dengue.
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