Singapore is fighting back against a rapidly worsening dengue epidemic by distributing insect repellants to every household and recruiting hundreds of disease control officers, officials said.
Two Singaporeans have died from the virus so far this year and weekly cases hit an all-time high of 820 in the period ending June 8, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement issued late Tuesday.
More than 9,300 people were infected this year as of Tuesday, fast nearing the 13,984 infections in 2005, the worst year on record, official data showed.
NEA said its officers and volunteers would be distributing 1.2 million insect repellants to all households in the compact island of over five million from July to August this year.
This would "help residents protect themselves from mosquito bites and thus break the chain of transmission," it said.
The agency is also hiring 300 new officers to supplement its current 850-strong disease control team.
"With the strengthened operational workforce, NEA will be able to inspect 100 percent of the premises in dengue clusters within a week, as well as to step up preventive surveillance checks in non-cluster areas," it said.
Dengue is endemic in Singapore, a rainy tropical island, as well as neighbouring Southeast Asian countries.
The virus causes high fever, headaches, itching and joint pains. At an advanced stage it can lead to haemorrhaging and death.
The NEA said the current epidemic was driven by "low population immunity" and warmer weather. The Aedes mosquito, which carries the virus and transmits the disease, thrives during the hot season.
Homeowners in the city-state -- known for its fastidious sanitation -- can be fined Sg$200 ($160) if mosquito breeding spots are found in their homes.
Repeat offenders can be fined up to Sg$5,000 or jailed for up to three months, or both.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in January that the disease had global "epidemic potential" after registering a 30-fold increase in the last 50 years to two million cases annually due to climate change and increased travel.
AFP
Wed Jun 12 2013
Selangor lancar kempen 'Stand With Faisal Halim. Stop The Violence!'
Faisal Halim hanya seorang insan kecil dari Pulau Pinang yang mempunyai impian besar.
Patuh santuni jemaah, petugas haji saban tahun
Kemahiran berkomunikasi, fasih berbahasa Arab, Melayu dan Bahasa Inggeris jadi nilai tambah kepada Pembantu Petugas Haji (PATUH) dalam menyantuni jemaah dan petugas haji dari Malaysia setiap kali ketibaan musim haji.
Operasi Israel di Rafah berbentuk terhad - AS
Operasi itu bertujuan mengekang penyeludupan senjata dan dana kepada kumpulan pejuang Hamas di Gaza.
AWANI Pagi: Harapan Palestin & pupuk sifat sukarelawan anak muda
Ikuti temuramah wartawan Afiezy Azaman dengan Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, Presiden Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (MAPIM) di Kaherah, Mesir berkaitan isu Palestin.
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
'Henti serang Rafah atau tiada gencatan senjata' - Hamas
Osama Hamdan tegaskan pilihan kini berada di tangan Perdana Menteri Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hatrik Muhammad Azrai Aizad bantu Speedy Tigers kejutkan New Zealand 6-4
Sarjit menuntut anak buahnya untuk sekali lagi menampilkan aksi terpuji apabila menentang Jepun Rabu ini.
Hidup bersama secara aman antara 10 resolusi Persidangan Antarabangsa Ketua-Ketua Agama
Resolusi itu dibacakan oleh Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff.
Lintasan Karem Shalom dibuka semula
Susulan tindak kejam israel menutup lintasan Rafah, satu-satunya laluan bantuan kemanusiaan memasuki Gaza.
Amerika Syarikat berkata, mereka dimaklumkan bahawa lintasan Karem Shalom, yang sebelum ini ditutup Israel akan dibuka semula pada Rabu.
Amerika Syarikat berkata, mereka dimaklumkan bahawa lintasan Karem Shalom, yang sebelum ini ditutup Israel akan dibuka semula pada Rabu.
Operasi Israel di Rafah berbentuk terhad
Penasihat keselamatan White House, John Kirby mengesahkan operasi Israel di Rafah bertujuan mengekang penyeludupan senjata dan dana kepada Hamas.
Henti serang Rafah, atau tiada gencatan senjata – Hamas
Kumpulan pejuang Hamas, memberi kata putus kepada Israel untuk menghentikan serangan ke atas Rafah, atau ia menarik diri daripada perjanjian gencatan senjata.
Awas! Empat krisis dunia ini dikhuatiri jadi lebih buruk akibat COVID-19
Selain menyebabkan kematian dan kerugian besar kepada ekonomi, ia juga boleh menyebabkan krisis berkaitan kemanusiaan menjadi bertambah buruk.
Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us
The worlds climate is changing for the worse, and humans are responsible for that. Lets dive into a touch of science to make sense of this.
Demam denggi menurun kepada 1,300 kes minggu lepas - Subramaniam
Penurunan sebanyak 1,200 kes itu berikutan pelbagai usaha Kementerian Kesihatan dalam mengawal pembiakan nyamuk Aedes terutama di kawasan berisiko.
CukupSetakatSamson: Isteri Allahyarham pesan agar masyarakat tidak leka
Zamila Razeman, 27, turut mengingatkan masyarakat supaya tidak mengambil mudah kerana demam panas melampau termasuk dalam simptom denggi yang boleh membawa maut.