Dengue cases continue to increase in Singapore

A total of 853 new cases of dengue infections were reported in Singapore last week, the highest weekly number of new dengue cases ever, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said on his Facebook page on Monday. There were 73 new cases of dengue on Monday, bringing the total number of cases so far this year to 11,098, which is far more than what has been reported in the same period time over past years. However, news of the epidemic has been out of the spotlight recently as the transboundary haze resulting from the illegal practice of clearing land by fire for farming made headlines in the region and beyond. Balakrishnan there is no basis for the theory that haze would reduce the mosquitoes, and there is a need to focus on both problems simultaneously. Singapore had the worst dengue epidemic in 2005, when about 14, 000 people were infected, with 25 deaths. Dengue fever is an illness caused by infection with a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, with the symptoms including fever, fatigue as well as joint and muscle pains.