PUTRAJAYA, 30 Jan 2009: Fifty-four areas in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and Perak have been identified as dengue hotspots.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said these areas were not free of dengue although it had been a month since the first case was reported.
An area should be free of new dengue cases in two weeks, following prevention and control measures, as well as cooperation from residents, he told reporters here today.
He said 1,255 dengue cases were reported in the areas with epidemic periods of between 30 and 125 days.
He said control activities conducted in the areas were unsuccessful because of lack of cooperation from residents, adding that houses could not be fogged as they were closed.
He said the 54 hotspots are as follows:
Selangor: Petaling (Flat A and Flat C Section 7, Terrace A Section 7, Terrace A and Terrace B Section 18, Section U3 Subang Perdana and Section U10 Puncak Perdana);
Kajang (Taman Kajang Perdana, Taman Semenyih Indah, Taman Koperasi Cuepacs Batu 12, Taman Cheras Jaya, Taman Industri Mega, Taman Sri Jelok, Taman Zamrud, Taman Kajang Baru, Taman Kajang Jaya, Section 2 Bandar Sri Putra, Section 2 Bandar Rinching, Zone 1 Taman Sepakat Indah, Zone 1 Section 8 Bandar Baru Bangi, Zon 3 Section 16 Bandar Baru Bangi, Zone 5 Section 16 Bandar Baru Bangi and Zone 4 Taman Bukit Mewah);
Shah Alam (Perdana Apartments Section 13, Flat 18/3 (Eps 2), PKNS Flats Section 20, Section 6 flats, Padang Jawa B, Padang Jawa C, Pangsapuri Anggerik Section 16, Section 10, Section 11, Taman Alam Indah Section 33, Terrace A Section 25, Terrace C Section 27, Terrace A Section 25 and Terrace A Section 8);
Gombak (Bandar Baru Selayang F2, Kampung Laksamana, Taman Pinggiran Batu Caves Z2, Taman Samudera Timur and Taman Sri Gombak Zone 3);
Subang Jaya (Taman Puchong Perdana and Taman Serdang Perdana);
Hulu Selangor (Bandar Baru Batang Kali);
Hulu Langat (Kampung Sg Kantan Kajang and Kajang Prison quarters); and
Sepang (Taman Seroja Zone A).
Kuala Lumpur: Mentari, Lestari, and Cendana Apartments, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Sentul Utama Flat, Menara Orkid Bandar Baru Sentul and Taman Setiawangsa;
Pahang: Taman Mahkota Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan.
Perak: Taman Mewah Kamunting in Taiping.
Meanwhile, Ismail said 273 localities were affected by the epidemic, following at least two cases reported in each locality in the last two weeks.
Selangor reported 195 cases, 32 in Kuala Lumpur, Johor (11), Pahang (nine), Perak (eight), Penang (six), Sabah (three), two each in Kedah, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca, as well as one case each in Terengganu, Kelantan and Sarawak.
Commenting on the current dengue situation, Ismail said 1,310 cases and five deaths were reported nationwide from 18 to 25 Jan, as compared to 1,578 cases and four deaths, the previous week.
Ismail said 136 Chikugunya cases were reported in the same period, with the majority in Perak (48), Selangor (24), Johor (17) and Kelantan (16).
The overall number of dengue cases recorded from 1 to 25 Jan has increased, with 4,521 cases and 13 deaths.
Information on dengue and Chikugunya can be obtained from the Health Ministry’s website www.moh.gov.my. — Bernama
