Malaysia is testing a dengue fever vaccine as deaths from the mosquito-borne disease rise.

Director General of Health Ismail Merican says clinical trials that started midyear involved 300 volunteers.

Further trials starting this month are expected to end by the middle of next year. Malaysia is working with vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur.

Ismail says in a statement that if the studies are successful the vaccine could become available “in the next few years.”

Since January, some 43,000 people have been infected inMalaysia and 125 have died.

Deaths have risen by 60 per cent compared to the same period last year. Dengue is common in Asia and Latin Americaand there is no cure.