MOH reported 23,753 cumulative dengue cases as at 11th epidemiological week (12 March-18 March) this year compare to 7,364 case same periods in 2022, a significant 222.6% increase of 16,389 cases.
Mortality from dengue complications spiked by 433.3% in the same period from 3 deaths in 2022 to 16 deaths in 2023. [1]
Source: Portal Rasmi Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (moh.gov.my)
The Ministry of Health (MOH) found a spike in dengue fever cases in 2010, 2015, and 2019. “The dengue epidemic in Malaysia is expected to record a surge every four to five years. Therefore, dengue fever cases are expected to increase again in 2024 or 2025, with a projected higher incidence than the number of cases reported in 2019,” said Dr. Noor Hisham back in December 2022. [2].
Dengue is not exclusive for Malaysia, it’s a global public health concern. In recent decades, dengue cases reported to WHO increased from 505,430 cases in year 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in the WHO Regions of Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, with Asia representing around 70% of the global disease burden [3]
Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. While many dengue infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, dengue can occasionally cause more severe cases, and even death.
Prevention and control of dengue depend on vector control. There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue, the focus is on treating pain symptoms. According to Dr. Noor Hisham dengue vaccines are not included in Malaysia’s national immunisation programme as the country has not yet fulfilled criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO) at a minimum of 80 per cent dengue seroprevalence at age nine years. [4]
Therefore, early detection of dengue with rapid test kit is essential to help medical professionals to diagnose and enable patients to gain access to proper medical care. At Reszon, we offer RVR Dengue Rapid Test Kit series for the detection of IgG/IgM, NS1 and Combo NS1-IgG/IgM to assist healthcare institutions, laboratories, and medical offices in point-of-care decision-making.
Discover more on RVR Dengue Rapid Test Point-of-Care Assay offered by Reszon!
Reference:
- MOH (2023) Kenyataan Media Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia – Situasi Semasa Demam Denggi Di Malaysia Minggu Epidemiologi 10/2023 (5 – 11 Mac 2023) Accessed on 4 Apr 2023.
- Code Blue (2022) Malaysia Likely To Face Major Dengue Outbreak Post-Covid. Accessed on 4 Apr 2023.
- WHO (2023) Dengue and severe dengue. Accessed on 4 Apr 2023.
- Code Blue (2022) Malaysia 2021 Dengue Cases, Deaths Lowest In Decade. Accessed on 4 Apr 2023.
