PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — A total of 2,421 dengue cases have been recorded in the 28th Epidemiological Week (ME) from July 9 to 15, a drop of 67 cases or 2.7 per cent compared to 2,488 cases in the previous week.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said three deaths due to dengue fever complications were also reported in ME 28.

He said the cumulative dengue fever cases reported until now is 63,966 cases compared to 27,914 cases in the same period last year, which is an increase of a total of 36,052 cases or 129.2 per cent.

"Meanwhile, there are 45 deaths due to dengue fever complications reported until now compared to 19 deaths in the corresponding period last year,” he said in a statement today.

He said hotspots this week and in the previous week are the same at 112 localities, with 76 localities in Selangor; Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (21); Kedah (six); Penang (three); two each in Perlis and Sabah; and one each in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

Dr Muhammad Radzi said there were three cases of chikungunya in ME 28, making the cumulative number of cases at 142, whereas for the zika surveillance, a total of 1,638 blood samples and 100 urine samples were screened for zika but all results were negative. — Bernama