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  Straits Times Forum Online 16 Sep 05
Take a leaf from HK's book in dengue fight
Letter from Winston Chew Choon Teck

I REFER to the surge in dengue cases and the Government's efforts to contain the outbreak.

I would like to highlight that the mosquito problem is not peculiar to Singapore as other places in the region have also experienced serious outbreaks.

One such place is Hong Kong, where the authorities acted in June to contain an outbreak.

It was reported in the media there that the authorities resorted to biological methods of controlling the problem, like introducing certain species of fresh-water fish that preyed on mosquito larvae found in stagnant water in ponds, drains and canals, all potential breeding grounds.

Perhaps the Singapore authorities can do likewise in areas where such biological methods can be deployed, in combination with traditional methods like fogging.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) should also be more proactive and transparent in communicating the problem to the public and keeping the public informed on what it is doing to counter the problem.

Its Hong Kong counterpart publishes a mosquito ovitrap index which measures the incidence of mosquito breeding in various areas. A reading of 30 or more would warrant more stringent measures in countering the problem. I would like to ask the authorities if it is feasible to publish such an index here which would alert the public to high-risk areas, taking into account the more urbanised and built-up environment in Singapore.

It was also reported that the mosquito species have adapted to the environment, with breeding cycles becoming shorter and more frequent, especially during long dry spells interrupted by sudden heavy downpours. Some species could also have mutated and become more resistant to certain brands of household pesticides.

All this calls for the NEA and the pest-management industry to provide more information to the public on how serious this problem is and what is being done to address it before the problem becomes intractable.

Winston Chew Choon Teck
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