Spike in dengue cases in Malaysia due to weather: Experts

PETALING JAYA – Malaysia reported a higher number of dengue cases and deaths in the first eight months of 2024, with the spike in cases attributed to the weather.

As at Aug 17, a total of 92,420 dengue cases have been reported, according to data from the Health Ministry’s iDengue website.

In comparison, as at the week of Aug 13 to 19 in 2023, there were 75,928 cases reported.

The state of Selangor reported the highest number of cases with 47,398.

This was followed by the southern state of Johor with 9,983 and the Federal Territories, which includes the capital Kuala Lumpur, with 8,392 cases.

On Aug 17 alone, a total of 302 cases were reported nationwide.

Professor Azizan Abu Samah, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, said there is a correlation between the number of dengue cases and the weather.

“Usually, there is a good correlation between dengue numbers and temperature. There is also some lag between rainfall and an increase in dengue mosquitoes within a week after rain.

“So the months of July and August are usually when dengue mosquito numbers peak. Since the virus is endemic, an increase in mosquito numbers as carriers will correlate with a rise in dengue cases,” he said.

Prof Azizan said a drop in cases is likely when the weather becomes cooler.

This, he said, can be expected when the north-east monsoon begins in October.

Professor Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a health economics and public health specialist at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the fluctuation in weather is conducive to larvae growth.

“Urban areas have many potential breeding sites, such as construction sites and housing areas.

“With influenza and Covid-19 doing the rounds, dengue has taken a back seat.

“Hence, control of these few infectious diseases may have lessened our focus on dengue,” she said.

Prof Sharifa noted that the traditional fogging method may no longer be effective in killing mosquitoes.

“We need more effective methods to reduce harm, such as using Wolbachia mosquitoes or administering the dengue vaccine for children,” she said.

In April, Universiti Malaya’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (Tidrec) announced a clinical trial of Noden, a herbal remedy to combat dengue.

When contacted, Tidrec’s executive director, Professor Sazaly Abu Bakar, said the trial is ongoing.

“We are still actively recruiting volunteers. There is a shortage of dengue-positive volunteers despite all the news about high dengue cases,” he said.

He urged people to avoid areas with high dengue cases and take steps to prevent themselves from getting bitten by mosquitoes.

The herbal remedy is reportedly made from an extract of the Scutellaria baicalensis plant, which is also known as Baikal skullcap.

The extract is said to be effective against all four types of the dengue virus. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK