Construction sites blamed as dengue cases surge
21 Mar 2012, 9:02 PM
Hawwa Lubna
The Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) on Tuesday issued the first warning this year on a possible outbreak of dengue fever, and urged the public to to take preventive measures to fight the mosquito-borne disease that has become one of the worst public health threats in the Maldives.
Though the Maldives holds South-East Asia’s record for being malaria-free, since 2004 the country has been battling a growing epidemic of dengue fever annually with nearly a 1000 reported cases and three deaths annually, except in 2006 and 2011 where the reported cases doubled, and fatalities reached 10 and 12 respectively – a record high in the country’s history.
According to the CCHDC statement, 163 cases have been reported so far this year, 100 cases from Male’ and Hulhumale’ and the other cases from across the islands.
Although Maldives usually experience two peaks of dengue following the rainy seasons; one between January to March and the other during June to August, the center observed that dengue cases continues to be reported from Male’ and Hulhumale’ outside the peak periods.
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