SINGAPORE - A 67-year-old Singaporean man who lived in Toa Payoh has died of dengue fever, in the second death caused by the virus this year.

In a joint press release, the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency said that the man was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Monday (Feb 8). He died on Wednesday (Feb 10) after his condition deteriorated.

The man's home at Toa Payoh Lorong 4 is not an active dengue cluster, the release said, but operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy potential breeding sites are ongoing. Residents are encouraged to cooperate fully and allow NEA officers to inspect their homes for mosquito breeding and spray insecticide.

"MOH and NEA wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the patient," the release added.

The death in January of a 47-year-old Singaporean man was the first dengue death in 2016. He had been staying at Marsiling Rise, an area located within an active cluster, and been admitted to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on Jan 21. He died the next day.

Four people died of dengue in 2015.

In total, 2,441 dengue cases were reported in January this year, an unusually high number for the month given that it is traditionally the low season for dengue.

Slightly warmer weather due to the El Nino phenomenon, as well as the change in the main strain of the virus from the DENV-1 to DENV-2 serotype, had contributed to the spike. January 2016 had been Singapore's warmest January ever, the NEA said.

The number of dengue cases this year is expected to be high, it added.