The El Nino-induced hot weather managed to suppress the spike in dengue cases, but as the wetter La Nina takes over, we may be seeing an increase in cases once more.
Heavy rain is expected from June to October and heath officials have started destroying Aedes mosquitoes in hotspots nationwide, especially in the Klang Valley, since April.
“The operation will be upgraded continuously to ensure Aedes mosquitoes do not breed when the country is facing the rainy season, especially with the coming La Nina phenomenon,” Health director general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told Bernama.
He said a study conducted in the Philippines this year showed that the incidence of dengue increased substantially with the occurrence of the La Nina phenomenon.
“Spend just 10 minutes to search and destroy Aedes breeding grounds and place abate to kill mosquito larvae in water containers or flower vases,” he was quoted further.
The ministry is currently using a new method — the Outdoor Residual Spray (ORS) technique —where a specific spray is used on walls, which is expected to kill mosquitoes.
According to Bernama, only five states showed a rise in dengue cases – Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya 32 cases (25.2 per cent), Negeri Sembilan 10 cases(55.6 per cent), Kelantan six cases (14.6 per cent), Perlis four cases (100 per cent) and Pahang two cases (6.5 per cent).
