The six are Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, Penang and Kelantan, according to the director-general of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said from Jan 15 to 21, a total of 2,053 cases were reported in the six states, an increase of 177 cases (9.43%) compared with 1,876 cases in the previous week (Jan 8-14).
Dr Noor Hisham said six deaths were reported in the third week, bringing the cumulative number of deaths nationwide to 13 for the first three weeks of the year compared with 23 deaths for the corresponding period last year.
“The cumulative number of dengue fever cases from Jan 1 to 21 is 5,592 cases, which is a 46.7% drop (4,890 cases) compared with 10,482 cases for the corresponding period last year,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Dr Noor Hisham said the current unpredictable weather conditions provided ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, especially if water containers were left unchecked.
“Deaths due to dengue had occurred in areas with a dengue epidemic or high breeding rate of Aedes mosquitoes,” he said.
On the Zika virus infection, he said, a World Health Organisation report released on Jan 20 showed the infection, also spread by the Aedes mosquito, had been reported in 76 countries.
In Malaysia, eight Zika positive cases were reported from Sept 1 to Dec 31 last year, he said.
According to him, from Jan 1 to 21 this year, the National Public Health Laboratory and the Institute of Medical Research had found negative results from 97 blood and urine samples of patients who had shown symptoms of the Zika virus.