Is there a dengue outbreak?

[jeffooi]

Is there a dengue outbreak?

The EdTeam has received several emails from USJ-Subang Jaya residents about their concern over the menacing dengue fever. The gave us facts, people's contacts and the exact location of suspected breeding grounds.

If you, too, have similar discoveries, please drop us an email at edteam@usj.com.my. We will take it from there. Many thanks.

* * *

Related thread in The Web Forum:
Overcome dengue and play less politics, MCA ministers told

Case report:
Jacob Speaks: Local authorities fail in fighting dengue

* * *

MALAYSIAKINI.COM
4:17pm Thu Jan 16th, 2003

Is there a dengue outbreak?

While the government concedes that there has been a recent increase in the number of cases caused by dengue, it is not at the epidemic stage.

Opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, however begs to disagree. According to him, the current outbreak is the worst in the nation's history.

Health Ministry statistics show that dengue fever claimed 54 lives in 2002.

Lim, DAP chairperson, claimed a much higher figure, though he couldn't provide an exact death toll.

"On Jan 7, I said there were over 60 dengue deaths last year. Two days later, I said there were over 66 deaths. And yesterday, I said there were over 72 deaths," he said in a press statement released today.

"What was remarkable was that there was not a single occasion in the past month when the health minister, or any of his officials, sought to question the truth of my figures on dengue casualties or to accuse me of being alarmist in giving inflated figures."

The reason for the silence, claimed Lim, was because the authorities knew that his figures, "if not accurate, err on the low side from the actual statistics which would show an even higher fatality rate".

He accused Health Minister Chua Jui Meng of practising an official 'black-out' policy for refusing to release data on the escalation in the number of dengue cases and deaths.

Dengue alert

The World Health Organisation issued an alert last July to countries in tropical regions, including Malaysia, to be prepared for an increase in the number of dengue cases in view of unusually wet weather conditions.

Dengue fever causes painful joints, fever and rashes within a week of infection spread by the aedes mosquito.

Last September, Kuala Lumpur and four states were placed on a dengue alert. Selangor topped the list of cases with some 5,000, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 4,094. Other states considered to be at high risk were Perak, Kelantan and Johor.

But said Chua: "People do not understand dengue. It is an endemic disease in over 100 countries and affects 50 million people globally including developed countries such as the United States. Only that the press in those countries do not play up the issue."

Conceding that dengue cases were increasing, he said that the figures last year were still lower than1998 when 27,379 cases were reported with 58 deaths.

Nevertheless, he said his ministry has carried out many activities including educating the public on how to prevent aedes mosquitos from breeding around their homes through awareness programmes.

Epidemic continues unabated

Lim said that recent reports of dengue cases show that the epidemic is still at its worst phase.

English daily The Star reported today that Universiti Putra Malaysia has issued an alert to students, especially those living near Serdang and Balakong, following a 80 percent surge in dengue cases.

Meanwhile, another English daily New Straits Times reported that a Pahang state assembly representative M Davenderan had been hospitalised for dengue, believed to be contracted during his visit to villages in his constituency.

The opposition party wanted the government to declare a nationwide alert on dengue before more people die from the disease.

But it is not going to wait for that to happen.

DAP is organising a roundtable conference next Wednesday at the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur to discuss ways to prevent more dengue deaths.

Chaired by the party's national vice-chair Dr Tan Seng Giaw, who is a trained medical doctor, the conference is expected to be attended by representatives of political parties, NGOs and the mass media.


SOURCE:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/200301160018915.php

[jeffooi]

THE STAR
Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Bring back DDT to curb dengue

I SHARE the public concern that dengue fever is approaching epidemic proportions claiming 54 lives and 10,753 confirmed cases last year. We must get serious and unite to declare war on dengue.

I add my voice to other scientists in the world. Dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and encephalitis can be effectively controlled.

Just bring back the insecticide DDT! This proposal is not made to infuriate environmentalists who have long believed the emotional claim by Rachel Carson in “Silent Spring “ (1962) that DDT exterminates birds and wildlife.

Consider instead the scientific evidence. DDT, discovered in the 1940’s, is the only really effective solution for controlling the mosquito population and with it the long list of diseases they transmit to humans.

Rightly regarded as the most life-saving man-made chemical in history, DDT transformed the public health of billions before it was unilaterally banned by the American Government in 1972.

This ban was in blatant defiance of overwhelming world scientific opinion and a seven-month, 9,000 page testimony before the American Environment Protection Agency.

Its chairman, Judge Edmond Sweeny, ruled that DDT should NOT be banned, concluding: “DDT is not carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic to man (and) these uses of DDT do not have a deleterious effect on fish, birds, wildlife or estuarine organisms”.

Two months after this clean bill of health report, DDT was banned by the American Government and ruthlessly enforced worldwide for what was later admitted to be “political reasons”.

This centred on the evil doctrine that “overpopulation’’ in developing countries was the greatest threat to humanity. The DDT ban 30 years ago has led to an estimated 60 million needless deaths from malaria alone, 90% of them in Africa.

The case for lifting the ban on DDT is comprehensively reviewed in the latest issue of “21st Century Science and Technology” (see www.larouchepub.com ).

More dramatically, a leading advocate of DDT Prof Gordon Edwards of San Jose University in California has for decades been eating a tablespoon of DDT in front of each year’s entomology class! So much for the harmful effects of DDT.

Malaysia, as a respected spokesman for developing countries, can play a decisive role in bringing back DDT.

By hosting an international conference, Malaysia can reopen, not a confrontation but a sane and civilised meeting between informed scientists and concerned environmentalists.

I have done the calculation. For a chemical cost of only RM22mil per year, just RM1 per head of population, the inside walls of every house in Malaysia can be sprayed twice a year with minute quantities of DDT, sufficient along with other sensible public health measures to adequately protect the entire population from dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Developing countries have been grossly misled by Rachel Carsen’s book and America’s cruel agenda. DDT is the safe and outstanding weapon of choice for Malaysia against mosquitoes and the emerging dengue epidemic.

MOHD PETER DAVIS,
Universiti Putra Malaysia.
(via e-mail)


SOURCES:
THE STAR:
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/archi...rolx&sec=focus

NST:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/N...084643/Article

[jeffooi]

THE STAR
Friday, January 17, 2003

Don’t allow the aedes to breed

I REFER to the letter, “Bring back DDT to curb dengue” from Mohd Peter Davis (The Star, Jan 14).

Dengue is a vector-borne disease that is prevalent in many parts of the world. It is transmitted by a mosquito species, aedes aegypti .

After decades of mosquito control, the people neither fully understand that mosquitoes transmit the disease nor the life cycle of the mosquitoes. These factors are vital for the control of mosquitoes.

Most people are under the impression that insecticide spraying is the best way of controlling the mosquitoes. In a way that impression is true but they should realise that spraying is only the start of the campaign.

The crucial issue is the co-operation of the people to control the breeding of aedes mosquitoes which breed mostly in small containers inside the house and those thrown in the yards of the houses.

Although insecticide may be used to control indoor-breeding of mosquitoes, the people must eliminate breeding sources. This is the most effective and cheapest method.

I am sure the people who see children suffering and dying should care enough to control the vector-breeding places to keep their children healthy.

In developing countries, like Malaysia, there are numerous breeding places for the mosquitoes, like drains, pools and puddles, ant traps and water storage places in houses.

There are also vectors in the hospitals that are infecting patients. The people must urge the Government to co-operate with them to help eliminate these breeding sources with the use of insecticide, biological methods (like using larvivorous fish) and, most importantly, sanitation methods.

Malaysia is fast developing and I am alarmed to see the open drains in the towns and cities. The need for civic sense in all communities and at every level needs to be stressed.

This is essential not only to control dengue but all other communicable diseases.

DDT was banned primarily because several vector species of mosquitoes became resistant to the insecticide.

I am not sure whether the vector of dengue is resistant to DDT in Malaysia. DDT-spraying during the Malaria Eradication Programme has for decades antagonised the people of most countries who refuse to allow their houses to be sprayed.

In any case with modern housing, I wonder whether the people will allow indoor spraying.

I urge the people to help themselves by eliminating the breeding sources in their houses and yards, the Government to start a dynamic and priority programme and the media to keep on informing the people of this great task.

You have well-trained personnel in the Institute of Medical Research and the Government will certainly be happy to lead this programme to success.

I have an interest in the Malaysian programme as I was associated with Malaysia for nearly four decades while I was working with the World Health Organisation.

May I wish good health to all the Malaysian people and hope that my wish to see Malaysia free of or only with a few cases of dengue will come true.

Dr MOHAN A. RAO,
Medical Entomologist (Retired)
World Health Organisation,
India

SOURCE:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...edex&sec=focus

[pelapor]

January 17, 2002

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Roundtable Conference on the Dengue Epidemic

With reference to the above, the DAP would like to extend our invitation to you to participate in our roundtable conference on dengue epidemic on Wednesday, January 22, 2003, 11.00 am to 1.00 pm at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur.

We are organizing this conference because Malaysia is facing a dengue epidemic* whereas the Health Ministry still insists that it is endemic for reasons best known to itself. To date, it has yet to come out with the truth about the disease.

There are many factors which are causing the increase in the number of Aedes mosquitoes and hence the incidence of dengue. These include the emergence of a different strain of dengue virus, and more Aedes breeding grounds in clear water in homes, construction sites, factories and parks.

In the 1998 dengue epidemic, there were 27,379 cases and 58 deaths. Last year, the figures from various states exceeded 30,000 cases. Although the media reported only 26 deaths, the DAP, through various media reports, has totaled the number of deaths as 72 in 2002 and over four deaths in the first 14 days of this year.

There is therefore an urgent need to make people aware of the epidemic and to take effective measures to control it and to pressure the Health Ministry to come out openly in the war against dengue.

Your soonest reply as to whether you are able to attend the roundtable conference would be greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Tan Seng Giaw
Convenor
Roundtable Conference on Dengue Epidemic

RSVP: John Chung 016-3148370; Anthony Loke 016-6686165, 03-79578127


* Kindly visit our homepage at http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/dengue for more information.

[jeffooi]

A NOTE from the Forum Administrator

This is to pre-empt mud-slinging on us from the politikus lurking in Subang Jaya.

USJ.com.my is apolitical, we don't take partisan, political stance. But, we do want to do our bit to promote FREEDOM OF SPEECH and OPEN discussion on topics that affect the wellbeing of the grassroot community.

Hence we decided to allow posting and cross-posting of the "Roundable Conference on Dengue Epidemic" event, knowing and respecting the fact that Subang Jaya residents have the capacity and intellect to discern KNOWLEDGE from INFORMATION. Politics is just an aside.

This, we believe, is the power of Internet.

On the ground, we are alarmed that dengue fever does not only happens in the kampungs, it happens and it killed people in middle-class townships like Subang Jaya.

Attend this meeting if you have time, and update us on the Web Forum of what transpires.

[CASSA318]

UPDATE - COMMUNITY EVENT:
---------------------------------------

Please do take note that The Consumers Association of Subang And Shah Alam, Selangor (CASSA) will be organizing - FORUM PERDANA 2003 on Sunday January 28 to discuss grassroots concerns on several issues and among them, the issue of Dengue Epidemic!

FORUM PERDANA 2003 is open to all and it is an attempt to look at issues confronting us in Subang & Shah Alam and to strategize an action plan to address the various concerns in a fair and justifiable way utilizing our beloved PM"s Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's "Smart Partnership Tools of Engagement'!

CASSA will update you shortly, once, the YB Panelists, the time and venue is confirmed!

FORUM PERDANA 2003 - AN ACTION PLAN TOWARDS HOLISTIC LIVING!


Dato' Dr. Jacob George
President/Legal Adviser
CASSA
012-3664444

[sfliew]

MPSJ suddenly started fogging at USJ13 area this evening at 630pm, someone must have got Denggi fever at this area!

[ungkb]

I was passing USJ 9 after 6pm on Friday; I saw 1 council worker fogging the area.

[joker2107]

i found out over the weekend that my neighbour's neice from shah alam succumbed to dhf on the first day of hari raya. that makes my coming across 3 deaths in just over one month. i'm no monitoring station and i don't stand on street corners abegging for statistics. nobody calls me just to tell me that so and so has dengue fever. i'm just a simple office worker with a school going kid and still i get to come across 3 deaths from dhf in such a short spell of time. if the powers that be are still unfazed by the numbers, perhaps they should walk the streets and talk to the people. get down to the ground. thats where they'll find the mosquitoes (pun intended).

if i may rewind memories, lets track back to the days of the "mysterious" illness which claimed a number of lives in east msia and the calamity which almost ruined the entire pig farming industry in certain states on the west coast, later defined as cosackie and nipah respectively.

what sort of numbers were we looking at then? did we acknowledge the epidemic proportions of those incidents? do we need something more major before we finally wake up from our slumber (assuming that the little aedes has not yet sucked the life out of you) of complacency?

to me fogging is an outdated modus in the war against aedes. i do not doubt the real efficicacy of fogging, but the simple truth is that the fogging covers such a small area, much of which are clean of mosquito breeding grounds anyway.

if you want an example. just drop by my place. i will present to you a reasonably maintained apartment complex sandwiched between a monsoon drain and an abandoned condo jungle. between each of the seven blocks are parks which vehicles have no access to. dbkl conducts regular fogging here, but it is confined to the immediate surrounding of the roads only. the monsoon drain has never been fogged. i doubt the fogging from the road has any effect on the mosquitoes in the park. as for the jungle, continue dreaming of aedes.

as was published in the sun recently, THINK BIG in the war against denggi.

[kwchang]

As ungkb observed, MPSJ did a thorough hand-fogging of some roads in USJ9 on Fri including backlanes. Syabas to the fogging team - it was a very good and meticulous exercise. I saw it going on 2 roads away from my house on my way home, hence I quickly got home and prepared my house for the fogging exercise - ie covering all food and utensils. But alas, they stopped at the road behind my house. When we met up with the officer in charge a few roads away, we were told that they only fogged within 200m radius of a confimed denggi afflicted household. Well, the good news was the last case was more than 200m away, but the bad news was we missed being fogged.

May I make a point with joker2107 that the previous Nipah virus outbreak that affected the pig-industry had nothing to do with mosquitoes although it was erroneously attributed at the onset to Jap-e, a mosquito-borne disease.

May I include that all of us at home should take note of stagnant clean water around the house. Aedes is an urban mosquito that breeds in clean, stagnant water. If you can't get rid of these water (such as potted water plants), then use the very cheap "Abate" which is a viral-powder (harmless to humans) that kills mosquito larvae. Another way is to breed guppies in the water plant pots if necessary.

[sfliew]

The best breeding ground for mosquito :
1) The abandoned Condo at USJ19 and USJ21 - do they fogged there?

[joker2107]

chang, when i mentioned the nipah and cosackie, it was all about comparison of numbers and urgency of response. why r we not seeing the same urgency here? i cannot disagree more that areas under our control must be rid of stagnant water, clear or otherwise. yes, even the wc, or toilet water tank in simpler words, is a potential aedes breeding ground. abate has been around for umpteen years and its efficiency is still unquestionable. its what every home must have, not for show, but used in all implements which may collect stagnant water.

still, i cannot divert from the fact that the pesky mozzie does not just suddenly appear out of thin air in that bowl of clear stagnant water i left under my kitchen table. it must have been bred somewhere else, smelled my blood and liked it, hunted me down, and then found a nice place to propogate. i could eliminate this very simply and quickly. but that does not do the least bit to the original source, and the extremely huge family of blood suckers lying in wait in the unseen and untouched paradise within abandoned properties and public service facilities etc.

tell me how many victims of denggi actually bred the aedes! or did they get bitten by something that came from outside. better still, question yourselves if you are comfortable and sure that you will not catch the dreaded disease just because your house and your neighbour's house are free from aedes breeding grounds.

r we still talking big or do we remain thinking small? get a scapegoat; cover the tracks; wash my hands; don't burden me with the problems of danaharta and banks and liquidators ...?

[sinleong]

hey, i don't know many people in USJ and I am seldom here. Already I have seen 3 cases of dengue and the victims were hospitalized for some time. I have never known any dengue victims before in my life... it's an epidemic.

[jeffooi]

Is Health Minister Chua Jui Meng having a proxy fight with Housing & Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting over dengue?


THE MALAY MAIL
Monday, January 27, 2003

Dengue Under Wraps
Badrolhisham Bidin, Muzli Md Zin and Dennis Chua


THE Health Ministry has rapped local authorities for keeping facts and figures on the dengue situation under wraps.

Its Parliamentary Secretary, S. Sothinathan, said instead of withholding information, the local authorities should disseminate any information on the situation to the public.

He said public health was important and the ‘news blackout' was not to protect the tourism industry, as many might have thought.

He said the Health Ministry, on its part, is concentrating on a campaign to create public awareness on the issue.

The local authorities, Sothinathan said, should play a leading role as the problem lay in their respective areas.

He also urged local authorities "to be seen doing something" to allay the public's fears.

"They should also invite the public to be involved in campaigns, especially gotong-royong events," he said.

Asked what the local health authorities, which are under the purview of Health Ministry, were doing to combat dengue, he said they helped the local authorities in fogging and enforcement work.


SOURCE:
http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News...20030127124545

[jeffooi]

THE MALAY MAIL
Monday, January 27, 2003

Collective Effort Best Way To Combat Problem
Badrolhisham Bidin, Muzli Md Zin and Dennis Chua


THE message is simple - No Aedes, no dengue.

To achieve that would be our collective responsibility – from the people on the street to the authorities.

"It is a responsibility shouldered by all of us. Aedes mosquitoes do not pick and choose who to bite," said Tham Ah Seng, Health Ministry's Vector Borne Disease Division principal assistant director.

Tham, who is also an entomologist, said there is no better way to totally eradicate the disease than to eliminate the aede's breeding ground.

"Fogging exercises are just temporary measures and only mosquitoes are killed, not their eggs in your flower pots or water containers," he said.

Describing dengue fever as a man-made disease, Tham said as long as we fail to take preventive measures, the problem would persist.

He said the Ministry had been working very hard in handling and monitoring the country's dengue phenomenon.

Tham said the State Health departments were instructed to carry out checks on a weekly basis.

He pointed out that last year, their officers had visited four million premises nationwide, and of this number, a total of 28,000 or 0.7 per cent, were found positive (of providing breeding ground for aedes).

Of the number, he said, construction sites made up the highest percentage at 11 per cent, followed by factories (seven per cent), recreational grounds and vacant land (four per cent).

Tham said that last year, the Ministry, via State Health departments, had carried out 11 million fogging exercises at premises and affected areas nationwide.


FULL STORY:
http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News...20030127124735