Dengue in Singapore, is there anything we can do to get rid of it.

Dengue in Singapore, is there anything we can do to get rid of it.

During this Covid 19 pandemic we are so engrossed by the daily happenings that we have forgotten about another viral enemy that has since caused significant damage over more than a decade.

The rainy season has just begun. With the Circuit Breaker in force there are no  foreign workers maintaining the environment. Thus we can expect a spike in Dengue cases.

Dengue Cases as reported by NEA 

It is important to note that the day-to-day numbers fluctuate, as they depend on the number of cases notified each day. Therefore, weekly numbers are a better reflection of actual trends.

Number of Reported Cases

05-May	06-May	07-May	08-May	09-May	10-May	11-May at 3pm
71	84	30	93	96	36	26

Number of Reported Cases by E-week (from Sun 0000hrs to Sat 2359hrs)

E-week 14 (29Mar-04Apr20)	E-week 15 (05-11Apr20)	E-week 16 (12-18Apr20)	E-week 17 (19-25Apr20)	E-week 18 (26Apr-02May20)	E-week 19 (03-09May20)	E-week 20 (10-11May20 at 3pm)
315	343	360	400	391	510	62

Cumulative No. of cases for 2020 (First 19 E-weeks): 7092

Singapore health officials report seeing 18 dengue-related fatalities in 2019, the most since 2007. To date, 13,853 dengue fever cases have been reported in Singapore, the 

most in three years and the numbers show an uptick in cases last week (309), up from 242 the week prior.

Dengue fever is typically a self-limited disease with a mortality rate of less than 1% when detected early and with access to proper medical care. When treated, severe dengue has a mortality rate of 2%-5%, but, when left untreated, the mortality rate is as high as 20%.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, or its more serious forms, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Treatment for dengue is supportive. In more severe cases, you may be hospitalised for aggressive emergency treatment, including fluid and electrolyte replacement, and/or blood transfusions. 

Dengue virus  is the cause of dengue fever. It is a mosquito-borne, single positive-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae; genus Flavivirus. Five serotypes of the virus have been found,all of which can cause the full spectrum of disease.

The mosquito is also the carrier for a host of other illness such as Zika virus and malaria.So in reality though we cannot see the virus, we can see its carrier. If we can get rid of mosquitoes then the problem will disappear.

Well it is easier said than done.. 

The government has already spent a lot of effort by mounting regular campaigns to encourage the population on how to eliminate the insect. There  is also a significant manpower deployed not only to trap or kill the mosquitoes but also educate the public on the methods. Offenders who continue to neglect their responsibilities and continue to breed mosquitoes are taken to task.

So with all the effort expended why are still facing such a problematic situation,

Basically there 2 methods we can use to control the mosquito population,

1. Kill the adult mosquito 
2. Prevent the ability of the mosquito to breed 

A lot of people like to spray insecticide to get rid of the mosquitoes.In larger compounds they machines to fog, This is the worst thing that can be done.

 This approach is not without its problems. Insecticides, as their name suggests, are designed to kill. They’re designed to kill insects specifically, but can also pose risks to humans, pets and other animals. Insecticides also don’t discriminate. If you have beneficial insects in your yard — like ladybugs, butterflies or honey bees — insecticides will generally harm them, too. Many homeowners feel uncomfortable treating their properties with chemicals.

How can we control the breeding of mosquitoes?

As we can see the insect has a period of life that it must live in water. During this phase it is most vulnerable. All it needs is just a collection of stagnant water to lay its eggs and the cycle is repeated.

It is the female mosquito that bites humans and in this process transmits the virus. To ensure the maximum success, the mosquito lays its eggs in a few places.

How can we take advantage of the situation?

The incubation period of the eggs can take from a few days to months. The eggs are too small to be seen thus this stage can be ignored.

The larvae stage is where we have the opportunity to attack this pest,

However this stage lasts for 5 days only.

                                                 

                                                   Traps by NEA

  

Homemade traps

Mosquito traps are easy to make. All you need is a small container. Add a few dead leaves to speed up the process. 

To ensure maximum success the female mosquito lays its eggs over a few areas. So place a few containers around your compound. 

                                   

As seen the container with the dead leaves attracts mosquitoes to lay their eggs

Things to do to get rid of mosquito infection in your neighbourhood

1.   Place a few mosquito traps around  your compound

2.   Check every 2 days

3.   If mosquito larvae are seen put in a few drops of soap or bleach

4.   Replace with fresh water and repeat checks

Analysing the results

If no larvae are found  Congratulations but keep checking

If larvae are found . it shows that your neighbourhood has mosquito infestations.

Share your findings with your neighbours or your district council 

Continue with the traps

As we can see it is very simple to make use of  traps to eliminate mosquito infestations in your neighbourhood. This will ensure you and your family will not catch the dengue virus.

This is the time Singapore needs you to do your duty.

Together we can bring down the cases of Dengue

Please send a message to  singaporemosquito@gmail.com if you have

1. Find mosquitoes in your compound just your postal code 
2. Want to share any other methods 

3.    Please remember to  close all the traps when you go on holiday

Thank You for participating