Greater vigilance needed against dengue with first dengue death case

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have been notified of the death of a dengue patient who lived at Hougang Avenue

1. This is the first dengue death case this year and it highlights the urgency for greater community vigilance to stamp out possible mosquito breeding spots.

2. The patient was a 20-year-old Singaporean Chinese male who was seen at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) emergency department (ED) on 23 May and diagnosed as having viral fever. His condition was reported to be stable and he was discharged with advice to return to the ED if his symptoms worsened. He was also asked to visit an outpatient clinic for follow up and a repeat blood test.

3. The patient subsequently returned to TTSH’s ED on 26 May and was admitted as a dengue case. During admission, his condition deteriorated despite medical interventions, and he passed away on 29 May.

4. NEA is conducting thorough vector control operations at the vicinity of the case’s residence (Hougang Avenue 1), which is a dengue cluster. Residents should cooperate fully with the NEA inspectors conducting ground operations.

5. MOH and NEA wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased patient. We strongly encourage all Singaporeans to take appropriate precautions to prevent mosquito breeding by doing the Mozzie Wipeout weekly. More details on this can be found in www.dengue.gov.sg. Everyone needs to play their part and be socially responsible to stop the chain of transmission in the community. Persons who suspect they may have dengue should consult their doctors as early as possible and use mosquito repellents in order to reduce the risk of spreading the infection further.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
30 MAY 2013