A total of 16,684 dengue fever cases were recorded until April 18 with 40 deaths in Malaysia, compared with 11,386 cases and 29 deaths over the same period last year, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Dengue cases increased 8 percent between April 12 and 18, from 794 cases recorded the previous week (April 5 to 11) to 859 cases.

The ministry said that one death due to dengue fever was reported during the week between April 12 and 18, bringing the death toll due to the disease in the country to 40 people this year.

The increase in dengue cases were reported in northern Penang state (35 cases), the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (18 each), central Selangor state (18), southern Johor state (10), eastern Sarawak state (four) and one each in northern Perlis state, eastern Sabah state and central Negri Sembilan state, it said.

A total of 85 dengue hotspots had been identified with 82 of the localities, or 96 percent, in Selangor, while the remaining were in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Sarawak, it added.

A total of 481 compound notices, involving fines of 72,159 ringgit (US$19,933), and 300 notices to clean up premises of aedes breeding grounds were issued last week, the statement said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2009)