Dengue fever in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Pakistan

In Singapore, transmission of dengue fever is reported to be high, with several deaths registered. In Malaysia, transmission of the virus appears to be decreasing nationwide, but 5 provinces (Perak, Sabah, Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah) have reported increasing numbers of infected people.

In Thailand, all 77 provinces are reporting cases of dengue fever, more than 13,000 nationwide with 8 deaths. In Pakistan, the city of Karachi is reporting almost half of all the cases diagnosed in Sindh province, 325 cases in the city compared to 340 across the province.

Advice

The absence of reports does not mean that there is no dengue fever transmission in other countries. The risk of exposure will vary from place to place and may be high in many localities.

All travellers to areas where the dengue fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Many persons with dengue fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. There may be many more cases in the community than the reports indicate.