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Hot and dry spell sees decline in number of dengue cases in Penang

GEORGE TOWN: The number of dengue cases in Penang has declined over the past month due to the current hot and dry spell, according to the state health department.

State Health Department director Dr Wan Mansor Hamzah said the dry conditions meant there were fewer areas with stagnant water to allow Aedes mosquitoes to breed.

However, he said despite the current decline, the total number of cases so far this year was still higher than the tally for the same period last year.

“The summer (period) may be one of the factors causing the decline in dengue fever cases. At the beginning of the year, there was a steep rise in the number of dengue cases, but it has dropped slightly over the past one month,” he told Bernama today.

According to a statement issued by the Penang Public Health Department on March 22, there was a reduction of 19 cases in the 11th week of this year.

However, the cumulative total as of March 16, was 1,936 cases, compared to 850 cases for the same period last year. - Bernama

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