Forty-Seven-Year-Old Man Passes Away from Dengue

1.         The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have been notified of the death of a dengue patient at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH). MOH and NEA wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the patient.

2.         The patient was a 47-year-old Singaporean male who stayed at Marsiling Rise. He was admitted to KTPH on 21 January 2016. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on 22 January 2016. 

3          The patient had been staying in an area located within an active ten case dengue cluster. NEA has been inspecting the premises in the area, and detected and destroyed sixcounts of mosquito breeding thus far, of which five were found in residential premises and one in common areas. Vector control operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy any potential breeding habitats have been ongoing since the notification of the cluster on 5 January 2016. Residents are urged to cooperate fully and allow NEA officers to inspect their premises for mosquito breeding and to spray insecticide to kill any infective mosquitoes.

4          We urge all members of the public and stakeholders to stay vigilant and continue to work as a community to prevent dengue cases from rising. We are seeing a further increase in the Aedes mosquito population due to the slightly warmer than usual year-end weather due to the El Niño phenomenon, which aids in breeding and spread of both the mosquito vector and the virus. In view of the warmer than usual weather persisting, the number of dengue cases in 2016 is expected to be high, with cases spiking earlier than in previous years. There is an urgent need to keep the mosquito population under control.

5.            Everyone must take immediate action to prevent mosquito breeding by practising the five-step ‘Do the Mozzie Wipeout’. Residents living in dengue cluster areas are also advised to continue with the use of repellents to lower the risk of contracting dengue. NEA also seeks the co-operation of all residents to allow NEA officers entry into their homes for inspection and spraying of insecticide. Residents who were not available when NEA officers visited their homes should arrange for another inspection as soon as possible.

6.            The latest updates on the dengue situation can be found at the Stop Dengue Now Facebook page,www.dengue.gov.sg or the myENV app. Persons infected with dengue should protect themselves from mosquito bites by applying repellent as regularly as possible, and those showing symptoms suggestive of dengue should see their General Practitioners early to be diagnosed.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
NATIONAL ENVIORNMENT AGENCY
24 JANUARY 2016