PETALING JAYA: Selangor has the highest number of daily dengue cases with 134 as of Dec 13, and 1,152 active outbreak localities, according to the iDengue portal.

In total, Selangor has recorded 34,781 cases since Jan 2.

This is followed by Sabah which had 39 daily cases (Dec 13) and 6,472 of total cases from Jan 2.

Other states with a high number of total cases are Johor (3,846), Negri Sembilan (1,869), Kedah (1,353), Penang (1,280), Perak (1,240) and Kelantan (1,149). Kuala Lumpur recorded 5,775 cases. Only Labuan has the lowest number with 26 total cases from Jan 2.

This brings the total cumulative cases in the country to 60,754 and so far, 39 deaths have been recorded.

Currently, there are 335 active outbreak localities in Sabah while Kuala Lumpur has 182, followed by Johor with 143.

The iDengue portal also indicates that the ongoing Wolbachia Mosquito Operation (WMO) is a novel tool for vector control under the National Dengue Control and Prevention Programme.

Health department director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said since July 2019, the WMO has been introduced in several localities with a high dengue burden in a staggered manner.

“To date, there are 28 localities in seven states. Three localities have implemented WMO in October and November 2022.

“The status has yet to be reflected in the iDengue portal. Initial analysis shows a dengue case reduction of between 33% and 100% among localities that have implemented WMO for at least two years,” he told The Star yesterday.

The Wolbachia localities include those in Selangor (10), Kuala Lumpur (five), Penang (four), Putrajaya (two), Johor (two), Kelantan (two), Pahang (two) and Melaka (one).

Dr Noor Hisham said studies had shown that the Wolbachia bacteria is able to block the dengue virus transmission from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to humans.

Lab-grown male and female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes injected with the Wolbachia bacteria are released in the identified locality under the WMO to replace the wild Aedes aegypti mosquito population, Dr Noor Hisham explained.

He added that in the long run this replacement strategy will reduce the dengue transmission risk caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito in that particular locality.

In May, Johor had carried out a pilot project whereby more than three million eggs of the aedes mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia strain were released in the People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Kempas.

In 2020, Penang had also released mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria to reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes.