SINGAPORE:Dengue fever continues to haunt Southeast Asia, with new cases reported in Singapore this week while Indonesia took precautionary measures following floods in Jakarta.
In the last two weeks, dengue infections have risen following five weeks of declining figures, according to The New Paper(TNP).
‘There were 313 reported dengue cases last week. Between Sunday and Wednesday, another 189 people have been infected,’ TNP said.
In view of the coming Chinese New Year celebrations, the National Environment Agency was concerned about increased mosquito breeding as ‘homes and other premises will be decorated with more ornamental plants’.
The Straits Times portal quoted the agency’s statement, also saying: ‘Home owners doing spring cleaning are also reminded to properly dispose of any refuse, including large furniture or household items, to avoid discarded materials from becoming unintentional mosquito-breeding habitats.’
A small amount, the size of a 20-cent coin, is enough with one female mosquito able to lay 300 eggs in its lifetime.
Meanwhile, a concerned Indonesian Health Ministry sent 14,000 health workers to the flood-impacted areas in and around Jakarta in anticipation of the disease and others such as diarrhoea and ringworm spreading after floodwaters receded, said the Xinhua new agency quoting the ministry’s secretary general, Oscar Pribadi.
Nearly 70 people died while 400,000 others were forced into temporary shelters after floods, flash floods and landslides hit Jakarta and its peripheral territories during New Year’s eve.
In 1970, only nine countries faced severe dengue outbreaks.
However, last year, dengue infections were recorded in 100 countries with a million people infected in Southeast Asia,The Guardian said.
‘In the Philippines, more than 1,000 deaths and 403,000 cases were reported last year‘a 98 per cent increase from 2018.
‘In Thailand, 110 people died from dengue between January and October last year, with 106,000 cases reported.
‘In the same period in 2018 there were just 50,000 cases.’
The symptoms of dengue include fever, joint ache, nausea and vomiting, headache, and rash while in more severe cases, a person may bleed from the nose or gums.
A recent study estimated that two billion more people could be affected by dengue by 2080, and with the increase mainly due to population growth in high-risk areas.