Highest rate of chikungunya fever this year

By AUDREY EDWARDS

PUTRAJAYA: The country has recorded its highest number of chikungunya viral fever cases in a year.

Health Ministry disease control director Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said fewer than 100 Malaysians tested positive for the illness last year, but as at Wednesday morning, 136 people have tested positive from the 631 cases detected at 20 localities in Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Perak.

There were 15 patients warded for fever and severe joint pains, while the majority received outpatient treatment.

"It is unusually high. It is because the aedes mosquito breeding index is high and it is making transmission easier," he said on Wednesday.

He said monitoring was continuously being carried out especially in areas where dengue fever was reported.

Both chikungunya and dengue are spread by the aedes mosquito.

"We have also been double-checking dengue hotspots for both sicknesses," he said. "We are, however, more concerned about dengue cases being on the rise."

He said more programmes to get rid of mosquitoes and destroy breeding areas such as fogging and gotong-royong by the public would be carried out.

Dr Hasan also urged the public to go to health clinics or hospitals to be checked by doctors for chikungunya fever if they showed symptoms such as fever, joint pains and rashes.

In a statement read out by Dr Hasan during a press conference, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the majority of cases were detected through house-to-house checks by ministry officers.

He said besides active detection, fogging and "larviciding" had been carried out.

"Active health education has also been carried out through discussions, health advice and brochure distribution," he said.

"The majority of cases are self limiting and chikungunya does not cause bleeding or death."

He added those who had been infected acquired life long immunity from the disease.

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