New dengue cases in Singapore fell to 242 last week

Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 16;

SINGAPORE: The number of new dengue cases in Singapore fell to 242 in the week from Sep 4 to 10, down from 310 cases the previous week, according to latest figures published on the National Environment Agency (NEA) website.

A total of 11,603 dengue cases have been reported in Singapore this year, surpassing the 11,286 cases recorded in the whole of 2015. Another 50 cases were reported between Sunday and 3pm on Tuesday.

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 64 active dengue clusters in Singapore – up from 59 the previous week – including 13 classified as high-risk. The biggest cluster is in the area near Bedok Rise, where 60 cases have been reported, including seven in the past fortnight.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said on Tuesday that NEA conducted about 748,000 inspections for mosquito breeding habitats between January and July this year in a bid to manage the spread of dengue and to tackle the Zika virus.

“Zika and dengue are conveyed by the same mosquito – the Aedes aegypti. Our key strategy for dengue control, and now Zika, is source reduction – the detection and removal of breeding habitats and larvae,” said Mr Masagos.

Singapore reported its first case of locally transmitted Zika late last month and has since confirmed a total of 333 cases.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong outlined on Tuesday a three-pronged approach involving preparation, response and long-term management to combat the spread of the mosquito-bourne virus.

- CNA/am