Amid the corona crisis, Singapore is facing the biggest dengue outbreak in the country’s recent history.
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On Tuesday, the Southeast Asian state registered 22,403 sick in a population of 5.6 million, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) announced Wednesday evening. The previous record was recorded in 2013 with a total of 22,170 cases, when 5.4 million people lived in the city-state. The agency warned that the worst isn’t over yet, as the dengue high season traditionally lasts through October.
The tropical viral disease is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, which is active during the day and usually disappears after a few days. Symptoms include high fever, headache and body aches. The disease can also lead to serious complications. If dengue can be treated early, the disease is fatal in less than 1 percent of cases. For children under five and older people, the disease is more deadly than for the active population.
This year, twenty people have already died from dengue or dengue fever in the country, seven fewer than covid-19 died. 50,369 corona infections were recorded.
According to the NEA, the high incidence of dengue fever may be related to the high levels of homework since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The mosquito that spreads the disease specifically propagates in flower pots, household containers and drains, according to authorities.
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