Johor dengue cases jump nearly 40%
JOHOR BAHRU – Johor has recorded a cumulative 11,480 dengue cases in 2024, said Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, marking a 39.4 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023 when 8,233 cases were reported.
“The latest statistics highlight a significant public health concern as efforts to curb the spread of dengue continue,” he said on Oct 14, referring to numbers taken from Oct 6-12 or epidemiological week 41 (ME41).
“Out of the reported cases, 4,783 (41.7 per cent) originated from outbreak localities, while the remaining 6,697 cases (58.3 per cent) were from non-outbreak areas.
“In week 41 (Oct 6-Oct 12) alone, 168 dengue cases were recorded, reflecting a slight increase of 0.6 per cent compared to Sept 29-Oct 5, which saw 167 cases,”
Mr Ling added that the data from ME41 indicates that 50 cases (29.8 per cent) were reported from outbreak localities, with the other 118 cases (70.2 per cent) arising from non-outbreak areas.
“Johor Bahru emerged as the district with the highest number of cases, reporting 108 cases, accounting for 64.3 per cent of the total in ME41.
“This was followed by Kulai with 22 cases (13.1 per cent), Muar with 11 cases (6.5 per cent), Kluang with 10 cases (6.0 per cent), Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi with 5 cases each (3.0 per cent), and Pontian, Mersing, and Tangkak with 2 cases each (1.2 per cent). Segamat recorded one case (0.6 per cent).
“Several districts, including Muar, Kluang, Batu Pahat, Kota Tinggi, and Tangkak, reported an increase in dengue cases compared to the previous week,” he added.
In ME41, 17 new outbreak localities were identified in the state, with the majority located in Johor Bahru (15 localities, 88.2 per cent). Batu Pahat and Muar each reported one new outbreak locality (5.9 per cent).
The cumulative number of outbreak localities in Johor for 2024 up to ME41 has reached 1,524, representing a 43.8 per cent rise compared to 1,060 localities during the same period in 2023. – THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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