Risk mapping of dengue in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Geospat Health. 2012 Nov;7(1):21-5. doi: 10.4081/gh.2012.101.

Abstract

Dengue fever is a recurring public health problem afflicting thousands of Malaysians annually. In this paper, the risk map for dengue fever in the peninsular Malaysian states of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur was modelled based on co-kriging and geographical information systems. Using population density and rainfall as the model's only input factors, the area with the highest risk for dengue infection was given as Gombak and Petaling, two districts located on opposite sides of Kuala Lumpur city that was also included in the risk assessment. Comparison of the modelled risk map with the dengue case dataset of 2010, obtained from the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, confirmed that the highest number of cases had been found in an area centred on Kuala Lumpur as predicted our risk profiling.

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / virology*
  • Animals
  • Dengue / epidemiology*
  • Dengue / transmission
  • Dengue / virology
  • Disease Reservoirs / virology*
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Geographic Mapping
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Insect Vectors / virology*
  • Malaysia / epidemiology
  • Models, Biological
  • Population Density
  • Rain / virology
  • Risk Assessment / methods