Singapore Sees A Surge In Dengue Cases In Mar 2022
Battling the Covid-19 pandemic has been tough, but it looks like we have to be on alert for another health threat that’s been around for much longer — dengue.
In a media release on 10 Mar, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) said that the weekly reported dengue cases in Singapore are rising sharply.
In the week prior to the news, NEA recorded 264 cases — up from 199 the week before. This was a rather startling increase of 65 cases in just 1 week.
Likely concerned for the public, NEA advised all households to stay vigilant and take preventive measures against mosquito breeding in a bid to reduce the case count.
Over 1,500 reported dengue cases this year
According to NEA’s media release, Singapore has seen more than 1,500 reported dengue cases as of the week ending 5 Mar.
Since the start of the year, the weekly number of reported dengue cases has apparently been increasing steadily.
In the latest week, there was a sharp jump to 264 cases.
Graph showing the weekly number of dengue cases over the years
Source
As of 7 Mar, NEA recorded 53 active dengue clusters, including 12 red clusters located at:
- Blandford Drive
- Chun Tin Road / De Souza Avenue
- Chun Tin Road / Upper Bukit Timah View
- Denham Close / Dunearn Road / Hua Guan Avenue
- Eng Kong Crescent
- Grove Drive / Holland Grove Drive
- Jalan Mas Kuning
- Kaki Bukit Industrial Terrace
- Kranji Road
- Woodlands Drive 17
- Woodlands Industrial Park E2, E4
- Woodlands Sector 1
The rise in cases comes after NEA detected high Aedes aegypti mosquito population in some areas, which if left unchecked, may lead to even more cases sprouting up soon.
Residents must remain alert & take preventive steps
Hoping to reduce dengue transmissions in the neighbourhoods, NEA advised all residents to carry out preventive measures, including doing the Mozzie Wipeout once a week.
Some of the steps they can take include:
- Breaking up hardened soil
- Lifting and emptying flowerpot plates
- Overturning pails and wiping their rims
- Changing water in vases
- Keeping roof gutters clear and placing BTI insecticide
Additionally, residents can use the myENV app to receive notifications on areas that have a higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population.
NEA will be deploying new banners at areas with persistently high mosquito populations to alert residents at such places.
Here’s an example of what a banner may look like:
Practise protective actions against mosquito breeding
Knowing that there are multiple health threats around us is quite concerning, especially during a pandemic.
However, we should trust that we’ll be safe, as long as we take the necessary precautionary measures as NEA has advised us to.
Other than that, remember to use mosquito repellent regularly to protect yourselves and your loved ones.
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Featured image adapted from Mosquito Dunks.
