SINGAPORE – The number of dengue cases detected in Singapore shot up to 163 in the week of June 4 to June 10, up some 50 per cent from the week before when 111 cases were reported.
The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website on Wednesday also showed that there were 31 active dengue clusters as at Tuesday. Of the 31, three were flagged as red alerts, or high-risk areas with 10 or more cases.
A cluster at several Housing Board blocks and the Oleander Towers condominium in Toa Payoh had 19 cases in the last two weeks.
The cluster in the Pemimpin area had grown to 28 cases, with six cases detected in the last two weeks. The Lorong Chuan cluster also grew to 16 cases, with five cases found in the last two weeks.
The total number of dengue cases reported in 2023 stood at 3,595.
In March, NEA warned that a dengue outbreak is likely in Singapore with the warmer months of June to August approaching, amid a surge in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population detected in the community.
This mosquito population is transmitting the less common dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3), which many in the community remain susceptible to due to lack of exposure.
Meanwhile, the number of Zika cases found in Singapore in 2023 rose to 20 as at Tuesday, NEA’s website showed.
On May 30, there were a total 15 cases, with 14 cases detected that month alone.
A cluster in the Kovan area had grown from 11 cases on May 30 to 15 cases on Tuesday, accounting for most of the new cases.
Similar to the dengue virus, Zika is a virus transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which can also carry chikungunya viruses.
Those infected with the Zika virus may experience symptoms such as fever, rash and joint pain within three to 14 days of being bitten. Most Zika patients, however, do not develop symptoms.
The Ministry of Health and NEA announced there was a cluster in Kovan on May 12, and advised residents, especially pregnant women, to monitor their health and seek medical attention if unwell with Zika symptoms.
Zika can cause unborn babies of pregnant women to be born with very small heads and undeveloped brains, a condition known as microcephaly.
NEA said on its website that source eradication of mosquito breeding habitats and spraying of insecticide to control the adult mosquito population remain vital to dengue and Zika prevention and control.
The public is advised to remove stagnant water and maintain good housekeeping in order to deprive mosquitoes of potential breeding habitats.
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