Singapore has reported the first death from dengue fever this year. The Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said a 47-year-old man died from the mosquito-borne disease on Friday.
The Singapore national was from Marsiling Road. He was admitted to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) on Thursday but his condition worsened a day later and died.
Earlier last week the NEW had said as many as 628 dengue cases were reported in the week ending January 16, with a warmer than usual weather aiding the breeding and maturation cycles of the Aedes mosquito population.
The total number of dengue cases reported so far this year in Singapore, which has a population of 5.5 million, stood at 1,368, the agency had said.
Officials said as many as 10 dengue cases had been reported from the area where the man lived. Data showed there were at least 32 areas in the city state with a high-risk dengue scenario.
The NEA said the outlook for dengue cases is grim this year.
"In view of the warmer-than-usual weather persisting, the number of dengue cases in 2016 is expected to be high, with cases spiking earlier than in previous years. There is an urgent need to keep the mosquito population under control," the agency said.
Click here for a detailed IB Times article on Singapore' dengue crisis.
