KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue fever cases in the 44th Epidemiology Week (ME) this year (ME44/22) increased by 233 cases or 16 per cent to 1,693 compared to 1,460 in the previous week.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement today said two deaths due to dengue fever complications were reported this week.

"The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far is 51,262 cases compared to 22,101 cases for the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of 29,161 cases (131.9 per cent)," he said.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, a total of 35 deaths due to dengue complications were also reported compared to 17 in 2021, an increase of 18 deaths.

However, he said the number of hotspot localities reported in ME44/22 decreased to 50 compared to 56 the previous week.

Dr Noor Hisham said of the total, 31 localities were in Selangor, Sabah (14), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (four) and Melaka (one).

Regarding chikungunya, he said 12 cases were recorded in ME44/22 with six cases in Penang, Selangor (five) and Negeri Sembilan (one), making the cumulative number to date, 682 cases. .

As for Zika surveillance, Dr Noor Hisham said 1,739 blood samples and 16 urine samples had been screened and the results were all negative.

-- BERNAMA