SG50 DENGUE HUB quite HUAT hundreds cases a week

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Dengue cases hit 377 last week – highest weekly total this year


The Straits Times | Yuen Sin | Wednesday, Dec 30, 2015


Photo: AFP

There were 377 dengue cases reported last week, the highest weekly total this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday.



The end of the year usually sees fewer infections, but cases have been on an unusual rise in recent months. A weekly high of 361 was reported just two weeks ago.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health and the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor warned the public to "stay vigilant against dengue".

The NEA said warmer than usual year-end weather caused by the El Nino phenomenon could result in shorter mosquito breeding periods and shorter incubation times for the dengue virus.

While the number of dengue cases in the first 10 months of this year fell by about half compared with the same period last year, the Aedes mosquito population has doubled.

The DENV-2 serotype, which had been the dominant strain before 2013 until it was replaced by DENV-1, has now returned.

Dengue cases due to the DENV-2 serotype have increased, accounting for more than half of all cases here, according to the NEA.

Weekly numbers of more than 800 have been seen at times in 2013 and last year.

But this recent surge is worrying as a change in the main circulating dengue virus may be an early indicator of a future outbreak, unless measures are taken to suppress the Aedes mosquito population.

There are four strains of dengue and getting infected with one does not mean you are immune to the others. Many people infected recently could become infected again with a new strain.


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