A total of 585 dengue cases with one death were reported from Aug 2 to 8, an increase of 17 cases, or three per cent, from the previous week.

The death involved a 32-year-old housewife who was a diabetic and lived in Taman Peringgit Jaya, Melaka Tengah, where two outbreaks with 13 cases had occurred this year, Director-General of Health Dr Ismail Merican said today.

He said the woman started having fever and joint aches on July 21 but only sought treatment at a private clinic five days later.

She was diagnosed as having respiratory tract ailment and warded at the Melaka Hospital on July 28 after her mother found her unconscious, he said in a statement today.

Ismail said the woman was suspected of having dengue haemorrhagic fever and meningoencephalitis, or infection of the meninges, and was confirmed as suffering from dengue the same day.

She died on July 29 due to complications from shock syndrome.

No chikungunya-related deaths

NONE Ismail said that from Aug 2 to 8, six states recorded an increase in dengue cases. They were Johor (64 percent), Malacca (35 percent), Pahang (29 percent), Negeri Sembilan (21 percent) and Sabah (17 percent) and Selangor (eight percent).

The accumulated cases for this year stood at 28,127 with 67 deaths compared with 26,829 cases and 62 deaths for the corresponding period last year, he said, adding that this represented a five percent increase, or 1,298 cases.

Ismail said that up to Aug 8, 27 hot spots were reported, four less than the previous week while nine localities were declared to be free of hot spots.

On chikungunya, he said 27 cases were reported, a drop of eight cases from the previous week and only Sarawak, Pahang and Johor showed an increase.

However there were no chikungunya-related deaths so far.

-Bernama