SINGAPORE (CNA) – Dengue cases are rising sharply in Singapore, with 264 cases reported in the week ending March 5, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday.
This is an increase of 65 cases compared to the week before – a spike of more than 32 per cent.
The number of dengue cases in Singapore has been on the rise for eight weeks, with a total of more than 1,500 cases reported so far this year.
“A contributing factor and key concern is the high Aedes aegypti mosquito population detected in the community, which has increased by about nine per cent in January 2022 compared to in the same period last year,” NEA said in a release.
“If left unchecked, the current high Aedes aegypti mosquito population – together with circulation of the previously uncommon dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) and sizeable proportion of people still staying in and working from home – may lead to a surge in dengue cases in the coming months.
“NEA, therefore, urges members of the public and other stakeholders to stay vigilant and not let their guard down, as dengue remains a serious public health threat.”
NEA said that an “urgent collective community effort is needed to drastically reduce mosquito breeding habitats” and fight the surge in cases.
The agency urged residents and operators of premises to check its website regularly and to use the myENV app so that they can be notified about areas with higher populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitos.
“Residents living at these areas… are advised to be vigilant and take preventive measures against mosquito breeding, including doing the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week to remove stagnant water,” NEA said.
The agency will also be deploying new alert banners in areas with persistently high Aedes aegypti mosquito populations in the coming weeks. It said that these areas can be, on average, three to 10 times more likely to see large dengue clusters compared to areas with lower mosquito populations.
