Sixty-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 Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). MOH and NEA wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the patient.

2.        The patient was a 67-year-old Singaporean male who stayed at Toa Payoh Lorong 4. He was admitted to TTSH on 8 February 2016. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on 10 February 2016. 

3.        The patient’s residence at Toa Payoh Lorong 4 is not an active dengue cluster. Nonetheless, vector control operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy any potential breeding habitats are ongoing. 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 have been seeing an increase in the Aedes mosquito population due to warmer conditions caused by the 2015 El Niño phenomenon, which aid 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.        We encourage everyone to join in the collective effort to help stop the dengue transmission cycle by doing the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout. All stakeholders need to remove stagnant water from our environment, so as to deprive the mosquitoes of their breeding habitats. Inverting pails and plant pot plates, changing water in vases regularly, and capping bamboo pole holders when they are not in use are simple steps that everyone can take to prevent mosquitoes from establishing a foothold in our neighbourhoods.

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 regularly, and those showing symptoms suggestive of dengue should see their General Practitioners early to be diagnosed.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY