The PREVALENCE OF DENGUE IN MALAYSIA, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37268/mjphm/vol.26/no.1/art.3203Keywords:
Febrile illness, mosquito-borne disease, dengue, endemic, Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, MalaysiaAbstract
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness and remains a significant public health burden in Malaysia, with the cases rising substantially for the past 3 decades. This meta-analysis estimates the prevalence of dengue in Malaysia by analyzing 31 studies conducted between 1981 and 2020. The prevalence trends were evaluated across time, regional variation, study design, diagnostic methods, and further explored factors contributing to variability in studies. A total of 972 records were retrieved from five electronic databases, with 31 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. These studies represented diverse Malaysian states and predominantly involved post-2001 data. The diagnosis methods varied, with ELISA, PCR, and serological tests commonly employed. The meta-analysis included 22,921 cases, revealing a pooled dengue prevalence of 50.22% (95% CI: 38.7–57.8) with high heterogeneity (I² > 99.3%, p < 0.001). Dengue prevalence increased significantly, peaking at 49.7% during 2011–2020. Dengue presents with a wide range of symptoms, of which fever is the most prevalent, accompanied by musculoskeletal symptoms, headache, retroorbital pain, and fatigue. Additional manifestations include vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rashes, petechiae, and bleeding tendencies, which are associated with severe dengue. The findings emphasize prioritizing high-risk groups alongside urban-focused dengue control strategies. Further research in rural and less populated regions is essential to address the nationwide dengue burden comprehensively.
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