SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) expressed concern over the number of dengue cases in a media release on Feb 15 (Thursday), saying there have been over 2,600 reported cases this year. The number of cases per week has remained high, with 515 cases reported in the week that ended on Feb 10.
“This is more than double the number of dengue cases reported in December 2023. The steady rise in weekly dengue cases over the past ten weeks is a big concern and is likely driven by intense disease transmission in areas with high Aedes mosquito population. Our population’s low herd immunity to all four Dengue virus serotypes is also a contributing factor,” NEA said.
The agency has been closely working with stakeholders and other agencies to curb transmissions in dengue cluster areas.
NEA added that the number of Aedes mosquito breeding habitats in residential premises doubled last month compared to January 2023.
Mosquito breeding has been found by NEA in containers at homes such as pails, flowerpot plates or trays, and vases.
At construction sites, mosquito breeding was detected in ground puddles, canvas sheets, public areas, drains, and discarded receptacles.
“NEA continues to detect egregious cases of premises with multiple mosquito breeding habitats and common breeding habitats with profuse mosquito breeding,” the agency added.
In its statement, NEA cited a dengue cluster at the Boon Lay area, where it continued to find mosquito breeding over three months after the cluster was formed.
In December 2023, in particular, NEA found residential premises “with profuse mosquito breeding in two mop pails, containing over 100 and more than 900 mosquito larvae each.”
Meanwhile, at Pasir Ris last December, a residential premises was discovered with mosquito breeding of about 100 larvae in a pail. In another, there were three instances of mosquito breeding in a bucket cover, basket, and flowerpot.
NEA also said that a construction site at Club Street had been found with multiple mosquito breeding in September last year. After mosquito breeding was detected in water tanks, a scupper drain, and a road cutter machine, a stop-work order (SWO) was issued to M/S Tiong Seng Contractors
“However, the contractor was found to have not complied with the SWO on three occasions in October 2023. In November 2023, mosquito breeding was detected once more at the same site at Club Street.
M/S Tiong Seng Contractors has been charged in court and fined $217,500 for the multiple offences,” NEA wrote, adding that it “will also take stern enforcement action against non-compliant owners, who obstruct its officers from carrying out dengue inspection duties.”
In July 2023, the owner of a residence at Rivervale Drive was charged in court and fined S$1,000 for obstructing NEA officers in their duties, after he had turned aggressive and attempted to destroy the evidence.
An NEA officer had earlier detected mosquito breeding in a porcelain pot. /TISG
Read also: NEA dengue update: 208 new cases, 51 active dengue clusters