SINGAPORE: Dengue has claimed another life in Singapore, bringing to three the number of deaths from the disease this year.

The victims so far have been aged above 60 years.

The latest victim was a 66-year-old Singaporean Chinese male, who developed fever on 15 June.

He was initially given outpatient treatment, but was admitted into Alexandra Hospital on 18 June after tests showed that he had contracted dengue fever.

He died one day later.

The second victim who died earlier this month was a 63-year-old man, while the first victim this year was an 85-year-old retiree who died from dengue shock syndrome on the 25 May.

But just because the deaths involved the elderly, it does not necessarily mean that this group is more susceptible.

Statistics show that of the total number infected, only 12.5 per cent are those aged 65 and above.

Based on past trends, there are actually more infections for the age group of 15 to 34 years, compared to the elderly.

Doctors believe the three elderly victims who died from dengue perhaps had less strength to fight the disease.

So far, there have been 198 cases of dengue infection this week alone. This is more than three times compared to the same period last year.

It is not certain if the victims so far were living in a dengue cluster. But what is certain is that one can be bitten by an Aedes mosquito even if one does not live in a dengue cluster.

That was the message from the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The NEA also confirmed that more than 3,200 cases of dengue have been reported so far this year. - CNA/yy