Johor sees rise in dengue and HFMD cases
JOHOR BARU: Johor recorded an increase in dengue cases with 159 cases in epidemiological week 24 (ME24), compared to 120 cases the previous week.
State health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said of the 159 cases, 46 (28.9%) were identified as epidemic locality cases and 113 (71.1%) were non-epidemic locality cases.
'Despite the weekly increase, cumulative dengue cases in Johor dropped significantly to 3,157, compared to 7,577 cases during the same period last year,' he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 17).
He said Johor Baru district has the highest number of cases with 116 (73%), followed by Kulai with 15 (3.1%), Pontian with seven cases (4.4%), and Muar with six cases (3.8%).
'They were followed by Batu Pahat with five cases (3.1%), Kota Tinggi and Segamat with four cases each (2.5%) as well as Kluang and Mersing with one case each (0.6%),
'However there were no cases recorded in Tangkak,' he said.
He also said that Johor Baru, Kulai, Pontian, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kota Tinggi, Segamat and Mersing saw an increase in cases from ME23 to ME24.
Ling said 3,263 notices for a total of RM1.63mil were issued this year to date, with 68% of the offenders settling their fines.
Meanwhile, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases have surpassed the alert level since early this year, with 591 new cases reported in ME24, compared to 565 cases in ME23, an increase of 4.6%, bringing the cumulative HFMD cases this year to date to 18,750.
Ling said the majority of those affected were children aged below six (14,699 cases, 78.4%), followed by those between seven and 12 years (3480 cases, 18.6%), with the remaining patients aged 13 and above.
'Though no new clusters were reported in ME24, the cumulative cluster total remains at 101, affecting 34 kindergartens, 27 pre-schools, 18 childcare centres, a primary school, and a private residential area,' he said.
He also reminded parents and operators of early childhood education centres to take precautionary measures to minimise the risk of infection.
The Johor Health Department issued two precautionary notices on March 11, 2025, to raise awareness and encourage preventive action against HFMD outbreaks.
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