KOTA KINABALU – Sabah has reported a spike in dengue cases and fire incidents as the state has experienced extreme hot weather in recent days.
State Health Director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said hot weather shortens the life cycle of a mosquito from a week to less than seven days, causing adult mosquitoes to be more aggressive.
She said 152 new dengue cases were reported two weeks ago (April 9 to 15) but noted that this was less than the 250 cases recorded weekly in early January.
Overall, however, the number of dengue cases recorded this year to date is still more than the cases recorded in 2021 and 2022, she added.
From January 1 until yesterday, Sabah recorded 3,303 dengue cases, with Sandakan and Tawau on the east coast registering the most cases with 919 cases and 625 cases, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sandakan District Health Officer Dr Johari Awang Besar said the lack of awareness of the need to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds factored into the increase in dengue cases, while hot weather also played a part.
The state Fire and Rescue Department also reported several houses destroyed by fires in Semporna, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Kota Belud, and Tuaran last week.
During three days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri alone, the department responded to 47 cases of fire in the state, out of which 39 cases were bush and forest fires, while the rest involved houses and vehicles.
The department’s deputy director, Farhan Sufyan Borhan, who revealed these figures, said the increasing fire incidents is mainly due to the hot weather that started in mid-March this year.
He said the hot weather in Sabah is expected to end next month, and advised people to be vigilant and alert when cooking, and to avoid using too many electrical appliances from the same power socket.
Farhan added that based on the air pollutant index revealed by the Environment Department, the hotspot areas are concentrated on Sabah’s west coast.
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow warning in two Sabah districts over the rise in temperatures – Beaufort and Nabawan.
These districts have recorded peak temperatures between 35°C and 37°C. A yellow caution will be issued by the department if such temperatures are recorded in three consecutive days. –The Vibes, April 24, 2023.
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