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Dengue cases reaches 10,237 in Singapore
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http://www.100md.com 2005-9-19
xinhuanet |
SINGAPORE, Sept. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 10,237 dengue cases were reported in Singapore from the beginning of this year to Sept.17 with a new high weekly record of 697 cases being registered in the week ending the same day.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahimtold the parliament on Monday that the government and its people need joint efforts to break the transmission cycle of the disease.
"First, we need to further reduce the mosquito population. Second, we need to isolate dengue patients from mosquitoes, thus preventing people infected with the disease from being the source of further infections," the minister pointed out.
He said that the government will establish a new and permanent regime of maintenance and cleanliness of public areas such as drains, and will review the design of these areas to avoid water collection which allows mosquito breeding.
Urging Singaporeans to perform a ten-minute, five-step routine check everyday to free their homes from mosquitoes, the minister stressed that "the government has the power under the law to entervacant premises to check for mosquito breeding sites in order to protect public health."
To tackle the serious dengue situation in the city state, an Inter-Ministerial Committee led by Yaacob Ibrahim was formed on Sept. 9, while an extra 30 million Singapore dollars (about 18 million US dollars) have been allocated by the government.
More search-and-destroy campaigns will be carried out over the next few weekends to "carpet-comb" possible mosquito breeding places nationwide.
Singapore has seen a resurgence of dengue in the recent two years with a total of 9,459 dengue cases having been found for the whole of last year. Enditem
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