Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

GEOGRAPHICAL DENGUE INCIDENT ANALYSIS USING KERNEL DENSITY ESTIMATION IN BANDAR BARU BANGI, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Nuriah Abd Majid, Muhammad Rizal Razman, Sharifah Zarina Syed Zakaria1 and Nurafiqah Muhamad Nazi

Abstract

Malaysia’s population is set to reach 33.10 million by the end of 2020. About 10 75% of the population of Malaysia lived in urban areas and cities. The metropolitan area of Greater Kuala Lumpur had a population of more than seven million that year, making it the largest urban area in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur as the city centre for Greater Kuala Lumpur has been ranked as Southeast Asia’s second most liveable city after Singapore. The livable city imperative is relevant because Malaysia’s urbanization process is moving towards harmonization with the principles of sustainable development. Livable city involves many interdependent factors contributing to the urban quality of life. With their complete physical and social infrastructures, the urban types are an essential basis for improving the quality of life of the urbanites. However, increasing population and rapid land-use changes led to the emergence of vector-borne diseases such as dengue in urban area. Prolong dengue outbreaks will reduce livability in urban areas. Therefore, this study aims to look at the density of dengue distribution in Bandar Baru Bangi town in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The study uses data provided from the Ministry of Health Malaysia and shows the focus of dengue cases in residential and industrial areas of Bandar Baru Bangi town. Spatial analysis using Geographical Information System (GIS) was applied to identify the locality of dengue incidence within study area. Spatial statistical analysis of dengue cases used Kernel Density Estimation to distinguish dengue hotspots from the distribution of exact location of dengue cases reported in Bandar Baru Bangi town. Kernel density estimation showed the dengue hotspots concentrated on the east of 29 Bandar Baru Bangi town. The results found that the highest density was in 2015 was 605 to 706 points per square kilometres. This study also discover that most of the hotspots constructed were located at the residential area of Bandar Baru Bangi. This study is essential to help local authorities eradicate dengue in urban areas for future management strategies; therefore, this study is vital to help local authorities eradicate dengue in urban areas for future management strategies.