KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — A total of 72,356 dengue cases were reported from January to July this year, an 89.5 per cent increase from the same period last year, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said dengue death toll too rose to 108 from 61 fatalities last year.

"There was a surge in dengue cases starting in May this year, a drastic increase as compared to the corresponding period in 2018 which recorded 38,190 cases,” he said in a statement here today.

According to Dzulkefly, Selangor recorded the highest number of dengue cases with 40,849 cases while the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya recorded 8,794 cases, followed by Johor with 6,057 cases.

Meanwhile he said in launching the Communication For Behavioural Impact (COMBI) convention in conjunction with the national-level Asean Dengue Day, ‘End Dengue: Starts With Me’ was selected as this year’s theme.

He said the theme was appropriate to show that dengue control is every individual and every community’s responsibility.

He also emphasised that all parties, including the public, private agencies and the media play an important role in ensuring success of dengue prevention and control plans. — Bernama