By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) reported 1,158 dengue cases last week. This is the highest number of weekly dengue cases ever recorded in Singapore, since the 891 cases recorded in 2014.

To date, the cumulative number of dengue cases for this year is 11,166 and the total number of cases this year is expected to be similar to or exceed the 22,170 cases reported in 2013, the largest dengue outbreak in Singapore’s history.

As of 15 June 2020, there are 211 active dengue clusters reported. With the concerted efforts of the community and stakeholders, the 105-case cluster at Westwood Avenue, 78-case cluster at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, and 65-case cluster at Jalan Jurong Kechil, are closed. However, there are still large clusters located at Woodleigh Close, Leicester Road, Tampines Avenue 7, Chu Lin Road and Aljunied Road where intensive vector control operations are ongoing.

The traditional dengue peak season could last a few months, from June to October, thus immediate action must be taken to break disease transmission. NEA urgently seeks the community’s support to ensure that their homes (including common corridors where domestic items, such as potted plants and pails, are kept) and gardens in their compounds are free from mosquito breeding, and to use aerosol insecticide spray and mosquito repellent to protect themselves and their families.

Homeowners and occupants are strongly urged to do their part and pay close attention to any mosquito breeding or adult mosquitoes present in their homes, take the necessary steps to prevent or remove them, and protect themselves from mosquitos’ bites. These include:

  1. Regularly doing the Mozzie Wipeout and removing any stagnant water in homes;
    • Turn the pail
    • Tip the vase
    • Flip the flower pot plate
    • Loosen the hardened soil
    • Clear the roof gutter and drains within compounds, and place Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) insecticide inside

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  2. Spraying insecticide at dark corners of the home, for example under the sofa and bed, behind the curtains and in the toilets
  3.  Applying mosquito repellent to protect themselves from mosquito bites
  4. Using mosquito screens
  5. Using spatial mosquito repellent (e.g. mosquito coil) in well-ventilated areas of the home.