Dengue and mosquitoes in Penang: report a breeding site, fogging, who to call

The short version

If you think you have dengue, see a doctor.

• Breeding site next door, in a drain or on empty land? Complain to your city council. MBPP (island): hotline 04-263 7637 or 04-263 7000, or its online complaints page. MBSP (mainland): 04-269 6969 in office hours, or aduan@mbsp.gov.my.
• The councils deal with breeding sites. MBPP lists larva surveys, clearing overgrown land, spraying, fogging and fining owners where breeding is found; MBSP has a Vector Control Unit.
• The state Health Department (JKN Penang) has a state vector unit, on 04-2296500, and a health office in each district.
• Fogging targets known hotspots and outbreak areas. The councils' and the Health Department's pages describe no way for a household to book it.
• See the hotspots: iDengue shows daily case counts and active outbreak areas.

Who to call

Sources: MBPP Environmental Health Department, MBSP home page, JKN Penang vector office and JKN Penang district health offices, read 2026-10-14.

What the councils do

MBPP (island). Its Environmental Health Department lists these steps to cut mosquito breeding:

• house-to-house larva surveys;
• clearing overgrown empty land, rivers and earth drains;
• compounding (fining) owners and occupiers of buildings, open land or private places found with mosquito breeding, and developers or contractors of building sites;
• spraying places where water collects, including public drains, to kill larvae;
• fogging and health education to control dengue.

MBPP's customer charter says it acts on a complaint within two working days and replies within three working days, and moves to control an outbreak within 24 hours.

If MBPP has to clear an overgrown empty lot itself, it can charge the owner: its page gives a worked example of RM3464.10 for three days of work, made up of labour, chemicals and a 30% handling charge.

MBSP (mainland). Its Licensing and Environmental Health Department has a Vector Control Unit (Unit Kawalan Vektor), a Nuisance Control Unit and an Overgrowth Control Unit (Unit Kawalan Semak Samun).

Neither council's page gives the amounts of the compounds (fines).

Sources: MBPP Environmental Health Department and MBSP Licensing and Environmental Health Department, read 2026-10-14.

Fogging: how it works in Penang

• In December 2024, Penang's health committee chairman said mosquito fogging was part of the state's response, and that the state Health Department was focusing on areas with high numbers of cases. MBPP was working with the Health Department on dengue in urban areas such as George Town, stepping up "search and destroy" work against Aedes breeding sites.
• In November 2025 the state launched ePINTAS-SEHAP, an online platform linking district health offices, MBPP, MBSP and other agencies to track dengue cases in real time and plan enforcement.

Buletin Mutiara's report does not say how a resident can ask for fogging at one house. If you think your area needs it, report the breeding sites and any cases to your council and the district health office above.

Sources: Buletin Mutiara, 16 December 2024 and Malay Mail, 18 November 2025, read 2026-10-14.

Dengue in Penang in 2026

• iDengue (run by the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Space Agency) publishes daily dengue cases by state, a list of current hotspots (Hotspot Denggi Terkini) and active outbreak areas (Kawasan wabak aktif Denggi). Its figures come from the ministry's national dengue operations room.
• Penang in 2026: The Star reported 60 dengue outbreaks in Penang as of 24 June 2026: 27 in the northeast district, 11 each in South and Central Seberang Perai, nine in the southwest and two in North Seberang Perai. Cases were down 34% as of 20 June, at 629 against 946 a year earlier.

Sources: iDengue and The Star, 3 July 2026, read 2026-10-14.

At home: what iDengue asks you to do

• Get rid of anything that holds rain or spare water, especially basins, old tyres, flower pots, plastic containers and drums. If you cannot get rid of it, put larvicide in it.
• Change the water in pets' drinking bowls often.
• Use mosquito repellent, sleep under a net, and fit fine mosquito mesh on windows and doors.
• Avoid being out when mosquitoes bite most: 5.30am to 8.00am and 5.30pm to 8.00pm.
• Wear long sleeves and long trousers outdoors.

Source: iDengue, prevention, read 2026-10-14.

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