Active Dengue Clusters In Singapore Saw 313 Cases Reported In 1st Week Of Jan
Dengue is known to be one of the most deadly, yet common infection in Singapore.
Just recently, National Environment Agency (NEA) announced that a staggering 313 dengue cases have been reported in the first week of January alone.
In addition, as of Tuesday (7 Jan), there are 100 active dengue clusters across Singapore, according to a listing on NEA’s website.
More cases around Pasir Ris & Yio Chu Kang
At the time of writing, the 2 areas in Singapore with the larger dengue clusters are Pasir Ris and Yio Chu Kang.
Red alert clusters in Pasir Ris
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Red alert clusters along Yio Chu Kang Road
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According to NEA, Pasir Ris had a total of 151 dengue cases while areas along Yio Chu Kang Road had 133 cases reported since the start of the red alert cluster.
The dengue ‘Red Alert Cluster’ refers to high-risk areas with 10 or more confirmed dengue cases.
For information about dengue cases in other parts of Singapore, you can view the full list of red alert clusters here.
Get rid of dengue clusters during CNY and 2020
Now that Chinese New Year (CNY) is just around the corner, NEA also advises Singaporeans to adopt CNY dengue prevention measures to keep your homes mozzie-free.
During the CNY period, Singaporeans are advised to:
- Take care of ornamental plants by making sure no water is gathered in the flower pot plate or soil
- Properly dispose items after spring cleaning to avoid unintentionally creating a mosquito breeding ground.
Apart from these 2 CNY dengue preventive measures, you can also adopt the ‘5-step Mozzie Wipeout’ in your everyday lives to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones.
Identifying dengue fever symptoms early
In addition to keeping your homes free of dengue mosquitoes, another important knowledge all Singaporeans should be well-versed in is identifying dengue fever symptoms.
Common symptoms include:
- Sudden fever lasting for 2-7 days
- Severe headache and pain behind the eyes
- Joint and muscle pain
- Skin rashes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Nose/ gum bleed
- Easily bruised
If you have any of the above symptoms, do visit your family doctor and get yourself treated as soon as possible.
Prevent dengue clusters from forming in 2020
Staying away from dengue might sound like a no brainer to most of us.
The truth is, when we’re busy going about our daily lives, it becomes easy to forget simple tasks like emptying water from a flower pot.
Hence, you might unintentionally be providing these mozzies with a breeding ground in your own homes.
So if you’d like to protect you and your loved ones from these mozzies, do remember to always stay alert and integrate these dengue prevention habits into your lives.
To help you a little further, here’s a checklist you can follow to ensure you’re living in a mozzie-free home.
Featured image adapted from The Independent and Trip Savvy.