Dengue in Singapore

For the latest dengue situation in Singapore, please refer to the MOH weekly infectious disease bulletin or www.dengue.gov.sg for more details.

For a map of dengue clusters and more details, visit http://www.dengue.gov.sg.

How Dengue Spreads

It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Dengue fever is not contagious and does not spread directly from person to person. A mosquito is infected when it takes a blood meal from a dengue-infected person and later transmits the virus to other people they bite.

Symptoms

Dengue Fever usually develops within 4 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Symptoms include: 

• Sudden onset of fever for 2 to 7 days
• Severe headache with retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
• Joint and muscle pain
• Skin rashes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bleeding from the nose or gums or easy bruising in the skin

Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever/Dengue Shock Syndrome is a severe form of dengue fever that could result in death.

What to Do If You Have Dengue

Please seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you may have dengue.

Treatment for Dengue

There is no specific treatment for dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever. There is also no vaccine currently available to prevent dengue.

Treatment for dengue is supportive. In severe cases, you may require hospitalisation and aggressive emergency treatment with fluid and electrolyte replacement or blood transfusions.

Precautions You Can Take

To prevent the spread of dengue fever, you must first prevent the breeding of its vector, the Aedes mosquito. The Aedes mosquito is easily identifiable by its distinctive black and white stripes on their body.

It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes. You can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by frequently checking and removing stagnant water in your premises.

Learn more ways to prevent Aedes mosquito breeding on NEA’s dengue website