Malaysia has issued a nation-wide alert after the number of
reported dengue cases shot up in the past fortnight.
The authorities say they are grappling with a possible dengue
epidemic in the country.
And they're expanding the current anti-dengue campaign to more
areas.
Even as Malaysia continues to deal with the aftermath of the
tsunami, the country is faced with a potential dengue epidemic
during the current rainy season.
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek told reporters that officials alone
can't do all that's needed, and stressed that the people must do
more to keep their environment clean and mosquito-free.
Mr Chua said: "Enforcement per se will not be effective. Until the
rakyat shows more commitment and greater awareness that this is an
urban disease. The people have to play a more active role. If every
family looks after its house and compound, the number of cases will
drop dramatically."
An anti-dengue campaign is currently underway to stamp out the
menace that mostly affects urban areas in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor,
Penang.
Since the start of the year, close to 60 cases of dengue fever have
been confirmed.
And in the last week of 2004, the number of reported cases surged
to 1,077, up more than 10 percent from the week before.
The highest jump was in Selangor.
For the whole of last year, the number of cases reached 33,203, an
increase of 2,690 from the previous year.
Fogging has been carried out by the local authorities in densely
populated areas in a bid to contain the spread of the
disease.
Schools and construction sites have been identified as main
culprits providing breeding grounds for aedes mosquitoes that carry
the potentially deadly dengue virus.
Abandoned building projects are among the priority areas being
checked and 20,000 warning letters have been sent to developers who
stand to face court action if found guilty.
Tourist confidence is already at a low following the tsunami
disaster and the bird flu crisis, so this latest health scare is
veiwed with concern by many Malaysians.
But the Health Minister believes the slew of measures taken by the
government will help to ally any fears among visitors. - CNA
Say say only, the rivers are horrible....