Malaysia's dengue deaths mount

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) -- Deaths from dengue fever in Malaysia have risen by a third so far this year, and health authorities said on Friday that the worst is yet to come.

The mosquito-borne virus has killed hundreds in Southeast Asia this year, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that the Western Pacific region could be at risk from a major dengue outbreak.

Malaysia recorded 30,285 dengue cases so far this year with 65 deaths, up from 20,258 cases and 49 deaths in the first seven months of 2006, said Hasan Abdul Rahman, director of the Health Ministry's Diseases Control Division.

"There is a rising trend of dengue cases across the country," he said in a statement.

He said the bulk of the cases were in the states of Selangor, Kelantan, Johor and the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The dengue virus has also spread rapidly in Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam this year due to warmer weather, heavy rains and crowded cities.

The virus, which is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes severe fever, headaches, rashes and muscle and joint pain. Severe forms can cause haemorrhagic fever. There is no vaccine.

Malaysia's health minister blamed the people for not getting their act together.

"These selfish people like to blame others whenever there are dengue cases in their areas," Chua Soi Lek was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying. "They blame the authorities for failing to collect rubbish on time and for stagnant drains." E-mail to a friend

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