Singapore: Over 25,000 dengue cases confirmed as of August 17

Event

As of Monday, August 17, health officials in Singapore have reported 25,053 cases of dengue fever in the country. The current number has exceeded the full-year high of 22,170 cases reported in 2013. Authorities are continuing to implement public health measures to hinder the further spread of the disease, including fumigation campaigns aimed at eliminating mosquito breeding grounds.

As of August 17, the total number of deaths caused by the virus in 2020 numbers at 20. Further spread of the disease is likely over the coming weeks.

Context

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. In a small number of cases, the potentially deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) may develop, resulting in internal bleeding, enlargement of the liver, and high fever.

Advice

Individuals present in Singapore are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping in a screened-in or air-conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds on their properties (e.g. small pockets of freshwater, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flowerpots, clogged gutters, etc.).