New dengue cases spike to 274 last week; upward trend expected: NEA

Channel NewsAsia 30 Aug 16;

SINGAPORE: The number of new dengue cases spiked to 274 in the week ending Aug 27, up from 222 the previous week, with the figure expected to rise further amid the traditional peak dengue season in Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.

Another 50 cases were reported between Aug 28 and 3pm on Aug 29.

A total of 11,053 dengue cases have been reported in Singapore since the start of the year. Seven people have died of the disease so far, with the latest fatality a 79-year-old man who lived in Eastwood Drive near Upper East Coast Road. There were four dengue fatalities in the whole of 2015.

There are now 58 active dengue clusters in Singapore – up from 46 the previous week – including 10 classified as high-risk. The biggest cluster is in the area around Tampines Ave 8, Tampines Street 81, Street 83 and Street 84, where 60 cases have been reported, including three in the past fortnight.

In an advisory on its dengue website, NEA said it anticipates an upward trend in the number of new cases in the coming months. Since April, its Gravitrap data has shown a steady increase in the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which is responsible for spreading dengue fever, it said. These mosquitoes also carry the chikungunya and Zika viruses.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and NEA have warned that the number of dengue cases in Singapore may exceed 30,000 this year, higher than the record of 22,170 reported in 2013.

Singapore also reported its first case of locally transmitted Zika last Saturday. It has since confirmed another 55 cases, and authorities have warned of more likely positive cases.

- CNA/cy

Dengue cases break 11k mark in peak season
Lee Min Kok, MyPaper AsiaOne 31 Aug 16;

The number of dengue cases in Singapore has crossed the 11,000 mark for this year, according to the latest figures from the National Environment Agency's (NEA's) dengue website.

As of Monday, a total of 11,053 cases of the mosquito-borne virus have been reported - just shy of the 11,286 cases in the whole of last year.

Last week saw the number of dengue cases rise to 274, an increase of 52 from the previous week.

While the number of cases has been fluctuating within the same range for the past couple of weeks, NEA has repeatedly said it is anticipating an upward trend in the coming months as Singapore is currently in its traditional peak dengue season.

It warned in February that there could be more than 30,000 cases this year - higher than the historic 22,170 reported in 2013.

Seven people have died from dengue this year, three more than in the whole of last year.

Ten areas have been classified as high-risk, with a cluster in Tampines the highest risk with 60 cases, including three in the last fortnight.

Since April, NEA said its Gravitrap data has shown a steady increase in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population.

The mosquito is responsible for transmitting both the dengue and Zika viruses.

Singapore reported its first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus on Saturday.

Since then, another 55 Zika cases have surfaced as the authorities warn of more to come.