Seventy-Nine-Year-Old Man Passes Away from Dengue

1.        The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have been notified of the death of a dengue patient at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital (MENH). MOH and NEA wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the patient. 

2.        The patient was a 79-year-old Singaporean male who stayed at Eastwood Drive. He was admitted to MENH on 30 July 2016. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on 4 August 2016.  

3.        The patient’s residence at Eastwood Drive is an active dengue cluster. Vector control operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy any potential breeding habitats are ongoing since the notification of the cluster on 13 July 2016. NEA has conducted multiple rounds of inspections in residential premises and outdoor areas including common areas in the estate. Residents are urged to cooperate fully and allow NEA officers to inspect their premises for mosquito breeding and to spray insecticide to kill any infective mosquitoes. 

4.        We urge all members of the public and stakeholders to stay vigilant and work as a community to stop dengue transmission. As we are in the traditional peak dengue season, we are anticipating an upward trend in the number of dengue cases in the coming months. Since April, NEA’s Gravitrap data has shown a steady increase in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population in our community and remains high. As a large proportion of our population is susceptible to dengue infection due to the lack of immunity, an increase in the Aedes mosquito population could lead to a surge in dengue cases unless measures are taken to suppress the Aedes mosquito population. 

5.        We encourage everyone to join in the collective effort to help stop the dengue transmission cycle by doing the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout, which includes inverting pails and plant pot plates, changing water in vases regularly and loosening hardened soil. These are simple steps that everyone can take to prevent mosquitoes from establishing a foothold in our neighbourhoods. All stakeholders need to remove stagnant water from our environment, so as to deprive the mosquitoes of their breeding habitats. 

6.        The latest updates on the dengue situation can be found at the Stop Dengue Now Facebook page, www.dengue.gov.sg or the myENV app. Persons infected with dengue should protect themselves from mosquito bites by applying repellent regularly, and those showing symptoms suggestive of dengue should see their General Practitioners early to be diagnosed.