People should continue to remain vigilant and take protective measures against dengue fever following more than 7,000 cases reported by the Health Ministry in the last two months, while four people have passed away from this disease this year.
The Health Ministry had recorded 1,090 confirmed cases of dengue from January 1st to March 23rd, and in their latest information, they recorded 8,708 confirmed cases from January to May 4th.
It says the Western Division reported 4,357 cases and continues to lead the dengue trend, the Central Division reported 2,092 cases, the Northern Division reported 2,048 cases, and the Eastern Division recorded 211 laboratory-confirmed cases.
The Ministry says following the outbreak declaration for the Western Division on February 3rd and the Central Division on April 11th this year, all divisions are advised to stay alert.
It adds the surge in dengue cases this year is attributed to the heavy rainfall and flooding that have affected the country over the past months.
The Health Ministry says 1,768 people were hospitalised for dengue from January 1st to May 4th, with more cases expected as health facilities continue to report cases.
It says the Western Division has reported (ing) 986 dengue admissions with two confirmed dengue deaths.
The Ministry also says that 347 people were admitted in the Central Division, 422 from the Northern Division with two confirmed deaths, while 13 admissions were reported from the Eastern Division.
The Ministry says they have conducted and continue to conduct public health interventions in response to the dengue outbreak that was declared in the Western Division and rising cases in the other divisions.
It says the approach to ensuring effective interventions involves continuous house-to-house surveillance, larval sampling, application of larvicides to destroy mosquito larvae, and adult mosquito spraying, with the implementation of clean-up campaigns to remove and destroy mosquito breeding sites.
It also says health teams continue to conduct health awareness programs to educate the general public on the necessary measures to prevent the spread and safeguard themselves from dengue.
The Ministry adds that health inspectors continue to conduct site inspections and issue abatement notices and fines to members of the public whose properties have the mere presence of mosquitoes in their compound, which is an offence under the Public Health Act Cap 111.
They are encouraging the public to pay attention to advisories related to dengue that have been communicated through various media platforms.
The Ministry also encourages individuals to educate themselves about dengue, implement preventive measures, and seek medical attention promptly if symptoms arise.
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