Singapore might face a severe outbreak of dengue fever unless urgent community action is taken, the country’s National Environment Agency (NEA) warned on June 3.

Spraying chemical to kill mosquitoes in Singapore on April 17, 2020 (Photo: APF/VNA)

The agency issued a release saying the number of dengue cases this year is expected to exceed the 15,998 cases reported in 2019, and may even surpass the 22,170 cases of 2013.

The number of weekly cases is expected to exceed the historical high of 891. The 735 cases last week is the highest in more than five years, according to NEA.

As of 3 pm on June 2, 9,261 infections hand been detected, far more doubling the figure for the same period last year. In the past two months, another five people died from dengue, bringing the total number of deaths to 12 so far.

The Ministry of Health said the 12 people who had died were aged between 56 and 80 years old. Of them, 10 worked or resided in active dengue clusters. There are now 176 active dengue clusters, the biggest at Woodleigh with 181 people infected.

According to the NEA, one factor contributing to the huge increase in dengue infections is the change in the dominant dengue serotype to DenV-3, which was last dominant about 30 years ago. This means that few people have immunity against it. There are four dengue serotypes and people are only immune against the type they have previously been infected with.

Meanwhile, the weather is warmer from May to September, allowing mosquitoes to breed more easily.

Source: VNA