Singapore fights back against worsening dengue outbreak
SINGAPORE: Singapore is fighting back against a rapidly worsening
dengue epidemic by distributing insect repellants to every household and
recruiting hundreds of disease control officers, officials said.
Two Singaporeans have died from the virus so far this year and weekly
cases hit an all-time high of 820 in the period ending June 8, the
National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement issued late
Tuesday.
More than 9,300 people were infected this year as of Tuesday, fast
nearing the 13,984 infections in 2005, the worst year on record,
official data showed.
NEA said its officers and volunteers would be distributing 1.2
million insect repellants to all households in the compact island of
over five million from July to August this year.
This would “help residents protect themselves from mosquito bites and
thus break the chain of transmission,” it said.
The agency is also hiring 300 new officers to supplement its current
850-strong disease control team.
“With the strengthened operational workforce, NEA will be able to
inspect 100 percent of the premises in dengue clusters within a week, as
well as to step up preventive surveillance checks in non-cluster areas,”
it said.
Dengue is endemic in Singapore, a rainy tropical island, as well as
neighbouring Southeast Asian countries.
The virus causes high fever, headaches, itching and joint pains. At
an advanced stage it can lead to haemorrhaging and death.
The NEA said the current epidemic was driven by “low population
immunity” and warmer weather. The Aedes mosquito, which carries the
virus and transmits the disease, thrives during the hot season.
Homeowners in the city-state -- known for its fastidious sanitation --
can be fined Sg$200 ($160) if mosquito breeding spots are found in their
homes.
Repeat offenders can be fined up to Sg$5,000 or jailed for up to
three months, or both. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in
January that the disease had global “epidemic potential” after
registering a 30-fold increase in the last 50 years to two million cases
annually due to climate change and increased travel.
AFP |