Malaysia dengue count continues to climb

The number of dengue fever cases in Malaysia jumped another 4,000 from the June 7 total of 38,000 to hit 42,000 on June 21, according to an AFP report Tuesday. In the same two-week period, seven more fatalities were counted bringing that total to 82.

Aedes aegypti Image/CDC

Malaysia reported nearly 40,000 dengue fever cases in all of 2013. According to the AFP report, The deadliest year on record in Malaysia was 2010 when 134 people died from dengue. 

The outbreak has prompted health authorities to set up a task force to try to battle the mosquito borne viral disease.

Elsewhere in the Asian theater, Singapore, which saw a record year in 2013 for dengue fever has recorded 9,087 cases and no fatalities to date. The Philippines has seen a 50 percent drop in dengue cases in 2014 compared to 2013.

And in Vietnam, the health ministry has reported approximately 10,000 cases so far, with six deaths. In Vietnam, an average 100,000 dengue fever cases, of which 100 are fatal, are reported each year.

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called “break-bone fever” because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.

People get the dengue virus from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. It is not contagious from person to person. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

There are three types of dengue fever in order of less severe to most: the typical uncomplicated dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHS) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Looking for a job in health care? Check here to see what’s available

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. However, new research from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust, using cartographic approaches, estimate there to be 390 million dengue infections per year worldwide.