SINGAPORE - An elderly Chinese Singaporean man has become the third person this year to succumb to dengue fever.

The 79-year-old died on Saturday (Nov 28), according to a joint press release by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) on Sunday afternoon.

He had been admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital last Wednesday but his condition deteriorated.

His death follows that of a 60-year-old female Indian national, who was in Singapore to visit her son, in September.

The first dengue victim was a 53-year-old Chinese national who died in February. She was living in West Coast Road, which had been an active seven-case dengue cluster.

The man's home at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 is not an active dengue cluster, but the NEA has assured residents that vector control operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy any potential breeding habitats are ongoing.

It also urged residents to cooperate with NEA officers and allow them to inspect their premises for mosquito breeding.

With Singapore experiencing the El Nino phenomenon this year, a slightly warmer than usual year-end season could lead to faster breeding and maturation cycles of the Aedes mosquitoes.

It could also result in a shortened incubation period for the dengue virus.

MOH and NEA have reminded people to maintain vigilance to prevent mosquito breeding. Those infected with dengue should apply repellent as regularly as possible to prevent mosquitoes from biting and picking up the virus from them, while those displaying symptoms suggestive of dengue should visit a doctor early to be diagnosed.

All the latest updates on the dengue situation can be found at www.dengue.gov.sg, the Stop Dengue Now Facebook page, or the myENV app.