Dengue fever is dangerous - Aedes larvae found in homes of 50% of dengue death cases

Aedes larvae found in homes of 50% of dengue death cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Aedes larvae were found in the homes of more than 50% of dengue death cases this year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai 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 Sunday after launching a blood donation campaign here.

So far, 95 people have died from dengue this year, with 30,350 cases recorded as of Saturday, an increase from the 67 deaths and 28,659 cases for the same period last year, he said.

There were 847 cases for the 32nd week alone with one death recorded in the Federal Territory, he said, adding that they were meeting dengue experts to find ways to combat the disease.

On the drug-resistant NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1) superbug identified in India and Pakistan, Liow said the Institute of Medical Research was conducting a study on the bacteria, which was not well-known.

"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 super bacteria, can cause harm to the body. There are no details from WHO (World Health Organisation) yet," he added.

The superbug reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several from the United Kingdom, Australia and United States who had travelled to India for surgery. The Belgian man was reportedly infected by the bacteria after he was hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury, following a car accident.

According to the US’ Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, NDM-1 is an "enzyme that destroys many commonly used antibiotics, rendering them ineffective."

Earlier, Liow encouraged people to donate blood, especially during the festive season when the supply often ran low.

He added that 565,604 blood units were donated to the National Blood Centre last year, and 73% were repeat donors.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my