In 2024, there were 13,655 reported cases of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. This was an increase from the number of cases reported in the previous year.
Largest outbreak in Singapore
Dengue is one of Singapore’s most pressing endemic infectious disease. Since Singapore was declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization in 1982, the island-state has been focusing on fighting dengue and other infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. However, unlike ,Singapore has not been able to eradicate this mosquito-borne disease. The National Environment Agency (NEA) stated that Singapore saw one of the biggest dengue outbreaks in its history in 2020, reaching more than 35,000 cases.
More dengue cases during Circuit Breaker period
According to NEA, the increase in dengue infections were due to several factors: a change in the dominant dengue serotype, meaning fewer people would have immunity against it; the warmer months which allows mosquitoes to breed easily; and the impact of the ”circuit breaker” measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.
During the two months of the “circuit breaker” period ending June 1, 2020, there were five times more cases of Aedes mosquito larvae detected in housing areas compared to the two months preceding it. As of May 1, 2020, 54 percent of Singaporean respondents stated that they had been avoiding going to work during the COVID-19 outbreak, up from 11 percent on Feb 21, 2020. With more people staying at home, and as the Aedes mosquitoes are active during the daytime, this period could have led to a higher number of dengue cases. To reduce the case numbers, since March 2020, the Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force (IADTF), including Town Councils, started to remove potential mosquito breeding grounds in public spaces and residences.