Kuala lumpur: The number of dengue fever cases in the country has surged by 66 per cent, reaching a total of 65,979 cases as of epidemiological week 35 this year, compared to 39,616 cases during the same period last year. Communications Minister and MADANI Government spokesperson Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil highlighted this increase during a Cabinet briefing on the current status of dengue fever cases.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the cumulative number of deaths from dengue fever up to epidemiological week 35 in 2025 was 32, while in the same period in 2026, it rose to 62, marking a 93.8 per cent increase. Fahmi shared these figures at the weekly press conference following the Cabinet meeting.

Fahmi revealed that as a preventive measure, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) plans to implement large-scale gotong-royong programmes. These efforts aim to curb the spread of dengue and will focus on areas identified as red zones or outbreak sites.

Additionally, Fahmi mentioned the Cabinet's briefing on the Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquito breeding programme, which has been implemented in Putrajaya. Aedes mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia can inhibit the reproduction of the dengue virus, thus reducing its ability to spread.

However, Fahmi noted that fogging activities could affect this programme, as they also kill Wolbachia mosquitoes. This concern was among the issues highlighted during the briefing.