KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 81 people died of dengue fever in Malaysia from early this year to Oct. 18, the Health Ministry said, local media reported on Saturday.

    A total of 36,991 cases of dengue fever had been reported, the Health Ministry's disease control division director Hassan Abdul Rahman said.

    Between Oct. 12 and 18, 961 dengue cases were reported in the country.

    Several states reported an increase in dengue cases. Among them were northern Perak state with a 214 percent increase, northern Terengganu state (78.9 percent), the administrative center Putrajaya (50 percent), central Selangor state (49.6 percent), southern Johor state (44.8 percent) and eastern Sabah state (20 percent), he said.

    He blamed public apathy for the situation, according to report by the New Straits Times.

    Ministry officials and district councils found that 78.9 percent of Aedes breeding grounds were in houses and shops, he said.

    The ministry had distributed 68,665 leaflets on preventing dengue at Aedes-prone locations, Hassan said, adding that a total of 316 compounds worth 55,665 ringgit (15,549 U.S. dollars) had also been issued.

    He urged the public to spend 10 minutes every week to locate and destroy mosquito breeding spots around their house.