I write to tell readers of a life-threatening situation my son went through. A week after Hari Raya he had prolonged fever. I immediately suspected dengue. I was very lucky that my sister-in-law is a medical doctor.

She told me to go to a private hospital and get a blood test done for my son. She said a private hospital will immediately admit you in if your blood count drops to 100, but not a government hospital which, for 'administrative' reasons, will o­nly admit a patient when his or her blood count drops to 70. The patient by then would already be too weak, and it would then be up to the patient's own recovery ability. Bear in mind that there is no vaccine or medication to treat dengue specifically.

My son's blood count dropped from 90 to 56 before rebounding. He is now well. My next-door neighbour is now in hospital with dengue. This is two months after I reported my son's case to Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ). Despite this there was no fogging done in my area.

My advice to Malaysians is to be vigilant and should you be stricken, go to a private hospital if you can afford it. There is an epidemic, despite what others say.

We're o­n our own.