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  Straits Times 20 Jun 07
Two new 'dengue centrals' emerge in heartland
One in West Coast Drive and Walk, the other in Kim Keat - each has 23 cases
By Tania Tan & Andrea Ong

Today Online 20 Jun 07
Many stings in this dengue tale
Disease reaches epidemic level for first time since 2005
Leong Wee Keat weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

THE dengue situation here has hit epidemic level for the first time since 2005, with 401 cases reported last week. The outbreak is officially regarded as an epidemic when more than 378 cases are reported in a week.

The last dengue epidemic was in October 2005, when the weekly tally hit 387. Last week's figure is a hefty 37 per cent increase from the 293 reported cases the week before. The 2,868 cases in the first six months of this year is double the number for the same period last year.

And this upward trend is occuring despite the authorities stepping up enforcement efforts. Last month, the National Environment Agency (NEA) deployed 300 more enforcement officers and conducted almost double the number of inspections carried out in April.

Two factors for the surge are recent spells of intermittent rain coupled with warm weather, which facilitates Aedes mosquito breeding, and the shift in primary strain from DEN-1 to DEN-2.

Deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health, Dr Lam Pin Min, said that Singaporeans remained "complacent".

"They have the mentality that it will not happen to them," he told Today. "They also tend to be not so vigilant in checking possible water storage areas."

In all, 296 clusters were recorded this year — nearly four times that of last year's 77. There are currently 10 clusters with 10 or more cases. Those at Kim Keat Road and West Coast Drive have reported the most number of cases — 23 each. A dengue cluster is formed when two or more dengue cases occur within 14 days and within 150m of each other.

Health GPC chairman Halimah Yacob also urged the authorities to reach out to foreign workers. Noting the growth in construction activity here, she suggested the authorities engage workers in their own languages to ensure they understand the dangers of dengue.

Dengue has claimed two lives this year: Loy Boon Hock, 63, and Vun Kyn Hee, 85.

RACE ON TO FIND VACCINE

Scientists are racing to find a vaccine for dengue and to discover the reasons why dengue epidemics are becoming more frequent. And while a drug could be ready for human testing by the end of next year, the research still has a long way to go.

Professor Paul Herrling, chairman of the Singapore-based Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases, said it would take up to seven years to get the drug onto the market if initial trials are successful. In the meantime, there is a risk the virus will mutate, he said. — Channel NewsAsia

Straits Times 20 Jun 07
Two new 'dengue centrals' emerge in heartland
One in West Coast Drive and Walk, the other in Kim Keat - each has 23 cases
By Tania Tan & Andrea Ong

DENGUE is moving hard and fast through the heartland, with two separate areas emerging as the new 'dengue centrals'. Two clusters - in West Coast Drive and Walk; and another in Kim Keat - each registered 23 cases of dengue, the highest throughout the island last week, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday.

Going on a 'search and destroy' mission yesterday, NEA mosquito busters scoured HDB blocks in the West Coast area, looking for potential breeding grounds. Knocking on doors, environmental health officers were alert to 'trouble areas' like bamboo-pole holders and flower pots, where mosquitoes can breed.

West Coast resident Cheong Kong Nan, 72, welcomed the mozzie-busters. 'I'm worried about dengue cases because my wife has to undergo kidney dialysis and her immune system is weak. She can't afford to fall ill,' he said.

The Cheong residence was among the more than 171,000 homes inspected by 500 NEA officers since last month - double the 85,218 inspections carried out in April. There will not be any let-up any time soon, if dengue numbers remain high.

It crossed into epidemic levels last week, hitting a record 401 cases - the highest since 2005. More than 2,300 breeding habitats were found in homes so far this year, said the NEA - a whopping 86.7 per cent more than the same period last year.

Such figures are worrying tell-tale signs of changing infection patterns, said Dr Paul Herrling, chairman of the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases.

'Infections used to occur in public areas,' he said. 'But we're seeing more cases happening at home.'

Set up in 2004 by the Swiss-based pharmaceutical firm, the institute is dedicated to studying diseases prevalent in the region, including dengue and tuberculosis.

A total of 2,868 cases were reported since January this year, with two people succumbing to the disease.

To combat the threat, the NEA, with the 25-member Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force, has stepped up daily checks on homes and outdoor areas, including drains, buildings and construction sites. The task force is also keeping an eye on areas that previously had not seen a high number of Dengue-2 cases, combing places like Yishun, Marsiling and Bedok North.

There are four types of dengue, of which Den-2 is the predominant strain now. Last year, Den-1 was the main strain.

NEA officers are not the only ones battling the disease. To bolster research into the disease, two more research bodies will join the four-year-old Dengue Consortium tomorrow, bringing the total to eight.

They will focus on drug discovery and better understanding of the virus and its vector. The complexity of the virus is also what makes it difficult for researchers to develop a vaccine, explained Dr Herrling.

But there may be hope in sight, as clinical trials for an anti-viral treatment, developed by Novartis, may begin as soon as next year, he said. 'With more muscles and more brainpower, we may be able to combat this,' he added.

Dengue epidemic: Facts and figures
Total number of cases last week (June 11 to 16): 401
Total number of cases this year: 2,868
Number of deaths: Two
Total number of clusters* this year: 296
Number of active clusters: 77
*A dengue cluster is formed when two or more dengue cases occur within 14 days and the homes of the dengue victims are within a space of 150m

Battle plan

FIVE hundred environmental health officers from the National Environment Agency and 300 officers from other agencies and ministries will devote 30,000 man-hours weekly to eradicating the dengue threat.

Their source-reduction efforts include daily islandwide checks for mosquito breeding habitats, including homes, construction sites and common drains.

What to do if you have a fever

WHEN fighting the dengue menace, it is also important to bear in mind that people can be carriers of the disease too. The Health Ministry urges people to seek medical attention immediately if they feel unwell and develop a fever.

Patients who have been diagnosed with dengue should ensure that they have enough rest and drink enough water to prevent dehydration. To prevent the spread of the disease, patients should protect themselves and members of their household from mosquito bites by using repellents and/or mosquito coils.
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