Spike in dengue cases last week: NEA

SINGAPORE — After declining for six weeks, the number of new dengue cases rebounded to 378 last week (up to Saturday, April 2), which was 72 cases more than in the preceding week, latest figures on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website show.

The biggest cluster of dengue cases is now located in Serangoon North Avenue 1, together with Hythe Road, Kensington Park Drive and Worthing Road. A total of 94 cases have been reported in the area, including four in the past fortnight.

A total of 6,373 dengue cases have been reported in Singapore since the start of the year, and the authorities have sounded the alarm over the possibility of a record high in dengue cases this year. There could be more than 30,000 cases this year — compared to the previous record of 22,170 in 2013 — due to factors such as warmer conditions brought about by the El Nino weather phenomenon, faster breeding and maturation cycles of the Aedes mosquito population and a change in the main circulating dengue virus.

Four people have died of the disease since the start of the year, the same number as for the whole of 2015. The victims are a 47-year-old man who lived in Marsiling Rise, a 67-year-old man who lived in Toa Payoh, a 63-year-old woman who lived in Bedok and a 73-year-old woman who lived in Hougang.

In an advisory on its website, the NEA said: “The number of weekly reported dengue cases is still high for this time of the year. The majority of mosquito breeding is still being found in homes, such as in domestic containers, flower pot plates and trays.”