Already in 2023, an increase of 86.3% had been recorded compared to 2022. Specialists point out that climate changes favor the spread of mosquitoes. A trial began in April with an herbal extract to reduce symptoms.
Johor Bahru (/Agencies) – The number of dengue cases in Malaysia continues to grow. In the State of Johor alone, in the extreme south of the country, 11,480 infections have been recorded since the beginning of the year, an increase of almost 40% compared to the same period in 2023. This was stated by the president of the Health Commission and Johor Environment, Ling Tian Soon. “The latest statistics show a major public health problem,” he said yesterday, referring to data collected in the week of October 6 to 12, which shows that the city of Johor Bahru is among the main outbreaks of the disease. Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes that manifests itself with very high fever and, in some cases, serious complications, especially internal bleeding.
Already In 2023, a considerable increase in cases had been recorded: 123,133 nationwide, which is equivalent to an increase of 86.3% compared to 2022, when there were 66,102 cases. The number of deaths attributed to complications of dengue in 2023 was 100 cases, an increase of 78.6% compared to 56 cases in 2022. Until August this year, the State of Selangor was the one that reported the highest number of infections: 47,398 since the beginning of the year, while the capital Kuala Lumpur recorded 8,392 cases. In the first five weeks of 2024 alone, the increase in cases compared to 2023 was 65.6%.
In Malaysia, dengue is endemic and reaches its peak of infection between July and August, when the number of mosquitoes in circulation increases. However, climate change is worsening the situation and pest control is becoming less and less effective, especially in urban centers, experts warn.
Professor Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a specialist in health economics and public health at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, explained that meteorological fluctuations favor the growth of larvae. “Urban areas have many potential breeding sitessuch as construction sites and residential areas,” he said, adding that innovative methods are needed at this time to fight the epidemic, such as the use of Wolbachia bacteria or vaccines for children.
In April, the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Training Center (TIDREC) at the University of Malaysia announced that it had begun a clinical trial on a drug based on an extract of the Scutellaria baicalensis plant used in traditional Chinese medicine and in several East Asian countries for various problems and that could counteract the symptoms more serious cases of dengue.
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