KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 -- Dengue-related deaths in Malaysia have risen by 66.7 per cent this year as infections climbed nearly 30 per cent, although the Health Ministry (MoH) said the outbreak remains under control and follows the country's usual transmission pattern.

According to New Straits Times (NST), the ministry said 38,854 dengue cases were reported up to June 27, up 29.1 per cent from the same period last year. Deaths rose from 18 to 30 over the same period.

It attributed the increase to a shift in the dominant dengue virus serotype from DENV-2 to DENV-3, alongside urbanisation, climate conditions, persistent mosquito breeding sites and increased population movement.

"The ministry does not base its public health interventions on ...