SINGAPORE is on alert for a possible spike in cases of dengue fever, especially for people coming down with a less common type of the virus.
The current warm spell, brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon, is partly to blame, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday.
Though mosquitoes need stagnant water to breed, it is dry weather that not only accelerates breeding, but also makes the insects infective faster.
While there is no reason for alarm, the authority is on alert because there is evidence that Dengue Type 1, 3 and 4 may be becoming more rampant, said the head of operations at NEA's environmental health department, Mr Tai Ji Choong.
Random blood samples taken from those who caught the disease this year showed that cases of the less common viruses have surfaced in parts of Woodlands, as well as in Serangoon Road and Serangoon North.
In the last few years, Type 2 has been the more common dengue strain in Singapore, said Mr Tai.
[SOURCE: http://www.straitstimes.com]
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