Toa Payoh dengue cluster grows to 187 cases; total cases in Singapore down to 216 from June 18 to 24
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113 cases were detected in Lorong 1 and Lorong 2 Toa Payoh in the past two weeks.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
SINGAPORE – A dengue cluster in Toa Payoh
The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website on Tuesday said the cluster at several Housing Board blocks and the Oleander Towers condominium in Lorong 1 and Lorong 2 Toa Payoh has a “relatively fast rate of transmission”, with 113 cases detected in the past two weeks.
The figures on its website are based off Monday’s statistics.
In response to queries, the agency said it has conducted multiple inspections at what is currently the largest dengue cluster since June 7, with 47 breeding habitats detected. Of these mosquito breeding grounds, 28 were in residential premises while 19 were at common areas.
NEA said it would take enforcement action against parties found to be responsible for the existence of mosquito breeding areas.
There were 216 dengue cases reported in Singapore from June 18 to last Saturday, down from the 270 cases reported the week before.
There are currently 43 active dengue clusters, or areas with active transmission.
Five of them were flagged as red alerts – high-risk areas with 10 or more cases.
The second-largest cluster, across several blocks at The Peak in Lorong 1A Toa Payoh, stood at 17 cases as at Monday, with 13 cases recorded in the past two weeks.
The other three high-risk clusters were in Jurong East Street 32, two condominiums in Bishan – Faber Garden Condominium and The Gardens at Bishan – and the Grande Vista condo in Yio Chu Kang.
There have been 4,079 dengue cases reported in Singapore in 2023 as at last Saturday.
NEA said that weekly dengue cases have numbered above 100 since the start of the year, and the figure has been increasing “sharply” to above 200 in recent weeks.
“We are now in the traditional peak dengue season of May to October, and a rise in the number of dengue cases in the coming months cannot be ruled out,” it said.
It stressed the need for people to take steps to suppress the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, which breeds in stagnant water and spreads the disease.
NEA added that intensive vector control operations are ongoing at the largest dengue cluster, with measures taken including the spraying of insecticide and fogging.
On top of having community partners sharing dengue prevention messages on digital platforms, it has also engaged residents through house visits and events.
It said: “We urge all stakeholders to maintain good housekeeping and ensure that vector control measures are undertaken at all premises under their responsibility, to prevent mosquito-borne disease transmission.”
Meanwhile, the total number of Zika cases in Singapore remains at 21. There are no active Zika clusters.
Similar to dengue, the Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.
A spokesman for the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said it had stepped up daily inspections to detect and destroy potential mosquito breeding habitats since the observed spike in dengue cases.
She added that fogging would be conducted at open areas every four to five days.
The town council has also worked with the relevant agencies to combat the dengue situation within the affected HDB flats and condominiums.
“We will work together with government agencies and the community to protect our residents from dengue, to stop mosquito breeding and prevent new clusters from forming,” the spokesman added.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest figures for the largest dengue cluster in Toa Payoh based off NEA’s response.
