There were three times as many dengue cases across Singapore in the first 31/2 months of this year compared with the same period last year, and the mosquito population remains high.

Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said yesterday there were 2,457 dengue cases in that period, up from 678 last year.

As Singapore goes into its warmer months, which is traditionally the peak dengue season, she cautioned residents to remain vigilant in preventing mosquitoes from breeding in order to mitigate the risk of dengue.

"Every dengue case is one too many because it can be fatal, particularly for the vulnerable elderly and the very young," she said to a group of around 70 volunteers and grassroots leaders who attended a dengue dialogue and prevention session at Bukit Batok.

The Hong Kah North MP also said the constituency saw 17 dengue cases in the same period, up from just three cases last year.

The area was not an active dengue cluster, according to the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website last Monday.

In Singapore, three people have died from the disease in the first three months, up from one last year.

The NEA launched this year's National Dengue Prevention Campaign two weeks ago to kick-start outreach efforts islandwide. Since the launch, more than 190 dengue prevention events and activities have been held to share dengue prevention tips, with more events to come in the next two months.

Dr Khor said the Government's efforts alone are not enough to stem dengue transmission and that everyone plays a role in keeping their homes and surroundings free of stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding.

"The continuous support of our local community has helped us tremendously, and will continue to be an important part of our war against dengue," she said.

Following the Dengue Prevention Volunteer training session yesterday, Dr Khor joined the volunteers in door-to-door visits to spread the message of dengue awareness to more than 1,000 households.

Grassroots volunteer Clarrah Goh, 44, was particularly invested in the cause after suffering a bout of dengue in December when she had a high fever, body aches and rashes, and was hospitalised.

"(You) don't need to live in a dengue hot spot to be affected. Now I'm extra cautious about making sure there is no stagnant water around my home," said Ms Goh, who runs a business selling luxury bags.