Dengue infection over 9,000 cases so far in 2020
More worryingly, the number of dengue cases has risen sharply in the past four weeks, climbing from 300 to 400 cases from January to April, to 735 cases last week – a figure not seen since the peak dengue years in 2013 and 2014.
There were already 12 dengue-related deaths this year, 10 of whom worked or resided in active dengue cluster areas. They are aged between 56 and 80 years old.
The spike in dengue cases occurred over a short four-week period since early May, and coincided with the COVID-19 circuit breaker period. The Aedes aegypti mosquito dwells mainly indoors and primarily bites during the day, so with more people staying at home during the day, this has likely exacerbated the dengue situation.
The agency has called for urgent collective community effort to drastically reduce mosquito breeding habitats and slow down the rise in the number of dengue cases, especially since the traditional dengue peak season could last from June to October.