SINGAPORE: 180 new cases of dengue were reported last week, an all-time high and mirroring trends in 2005 when the disease hit epidemic proportions in Singapore.

For the first 19 weeks of this year, there were close to 1,500 dengue cases.

That's nearly 50% higher than the corresponding period in 2006.

The Health Ministry said the spike might be due to a new dengue strain in Singapore - dengue 2 which is responsible for 60 percent of all dengue cases here so far.

Singaporeans who have contracted dengue are mostly immune to dengue 1 but they will be susceptible to dengue 2.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: "There are four strains in dengue. For many years, Singapore's is largely dengue 1, although dengue 2 is quite common in our neighbours. I was in Indonesia recently and I asked them, what's your most common strain and they said dengue 2. So that's the trouble. Within our region, there are different kinds of strains, so presumably, somebody must have brought the virus into Singapore and from there it just spreads."

Already, some hospitals are feeling the crunch as there are limited beds.

The Health Minister said that since the beginning of the year, more than 60 beds have been added, with more to come throughout the year.

But if dengue cases hit epidemic proportions, the number may be insufficient.

So, what can be done to solve the problem?

The government says the National Environment Agency (NEA), Town Councils and grassroots organisations have been activated to search and eradicate potential sources of mosquito breeding in residential areas.

The NEA will also be working with shipyards, construction sites and other industries to stop mosquitoes from breeding.

But the public too will need to do their part.

One example, littering. Discarded water receptacles contribute to nearly 15 percent of mosquito breeding.

This can be prevented if people just throw their trash in the right places.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, said that he is worried about the situation during the coming school holidays.

"People may be away. If they don't do their part to seal all the toilet bowls.... we may have (dengue) numbers that are not pleasant for Singaporeans," he said.

The Minister appealed to Singaporeans to do their part - check their houses daily for potential breeding areas as it takes about seven days for the mosquito to procreate.

And, one adult female mosquito can lay 300 eggs at one time.

No one in Singapore has died from dengue so far this year. - CNA/ir