The number of dengue fever cases reported in Malaysia continues to increase year after year since 2011 and in 2015, we see the highest number of cases and deaths as the southeast Asian country topped 120,000 cases. More than half the cases were reported from Selangor state alone (62,000+).

map of Malaysia
Malaysia/CIA

In addition, 322 dengue related fatalities were reported nationally as of Dec. 28, more than 100 more than the previous year.

If we look at dengue fever in Malaysia since 2011, we see a steady climb each year. That year there were 19,884 cases/36 deaths. In 2012, it increased to 21,900/35; in 2013 it was 43,346/92 and last year 108,698/215.

In the past 50 years, the incidence of dengue worldwide has increased 30-fold, largely as a consequence of the growth of cities and increased travel.

Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four relateddengue 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).

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.

Robert Herriman is a microbiologist and the Editor-in-Chief of Outbreak News Today and the Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch

Follow @bactiman63

Related: