It’s official. Dengue is on the rise in Singapore, with 20% more cases reported in 2018 than in 2017! There were 207 cases reported in the first week of 2019 alone, the highest weekly number that Singapore has seen since September 2016.
Aedes aegypti mosquito populations are growing, with the National Environment Agency (NEA) reporting that about 40% more of these pesky insects (which also transmit Zika and Chikungunya) were detected in December 2018 as compared to December 2017.
With Chinese New Year approaching, the NEA has made a list of recommendations for the general public, encouraging them to exercise constant vigilance during spring cleaning to avoid unintentionally creating more mozzie breeding habitats. Some of these strategies include:
- Covering or removing sources of stagnant water
- Adding sand granular pesticides to areas where stagnant water cannot be removed
- Change water in flower vases or decorative plants on alternate days
Severe cases of dengue may be fatal, with 5 reported dengue-related deaths in 2018 alone. If you exhibit any of the common symptoms of dengue, such as a high fever, rashes, muscle and joint pains, and nausea or vomiting, please seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Whilst these figures are alarming, you may find our previous blog post on mosquito bite prevention helpful too!
